The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-07-21
GENESIS OF TIE NEGRO.

there may be difficulty in explaining
the differentiation of Noah's descendants
into the white, black, and yellow races
on the basis of Usher's chronology. But
that Is no reason why Prof Winchell
should be allowed to cut his way through
the difficulty by introducing an hypothesis
which overthrows the whole Christian
scheme; namely, the hypothesis (for it is
nothing more) that the negroes existed as
a race before Adam.
The Interior rejects this theory, but
finds its way out of the difficulty by de-
handing more time" as much as may
be necessary.
Ushers chronology is no doubt incor-
rect, but we do not think the text of the
Bible admits of an addition for the ten
generations from Noah of more than a
thousand years to his figures Are we
to understand the Interior as claiming
an indefinitely long time between the
Flood and the differentiation of the sew
eral races of men? This is putting a
strain upon the Biblical text that it will
not bear. Even those who believe in the
great antiquity CT the human race do not
contend for this We think it is admit
ted on all hands among those who accept
the story OF the Flood, that it cannot be
put farther back than some 5000 years
B. O., and these figures are extremely i'm
probable.
We would call the attention of our CO.
temporary to the divergence which took
place at very early period in the LAM
g'tages of mankind. Would it demand
also an indefinitely long period to bring
about this result? Many philologists do;
but the Bible account of the matter is
different. The Bible refers it to the mi
raculous intervention of God, and in fact
nothing else Except the plurality of the
human race seems to explain it. Now
is it Incredible that the several racial
types may have been produced in a man
ner bearing at least some analogy to this?
Is there anything Incredible in the idea
that certain distinctive and characteristic
traits may Gin the infancy of the race)
have been stamped on the several lines
OF descent from Noah? Is not the case
of Ishmael and his descendants an illus
tration of such an act on the part of God?
And are not the marked peculiarities
which characterize the descendants of
Jacob another case in point? If dis
tinctive mark was put on the descend
ants of Jacob, why may not distinctive
mark have been put on the descendants
of Ham?
But the Interior may observe that
when the Scriptures are silent on the
subject of miraculous agency, we have no
right to have recourse to it to get rid of
difficulties. This may be true, but then let
us at least be silent also, and not on the
other hand give place to mere coniectures
which do violence to the common-sense
Interpretation of the Biblical language.
But have we no intimation that Gas in the
case OF language God did in some way
differentiate" the descendants of Noah s
sons2 What about the curse on Ham E?
What does Ham mean? What does Cush
mean? 1t is true Canaan is particularly
specified in the curse, but Canaan was no
more blameworthy than Cush and Miz-
rain, and it is'evident that the writer of
the passage singled out Canaan because
the Canaanites" at that moment were
the most prominent thought in the minds
of the Hebrews, and SO it is parentheti-
cally remarked, HAM, the father of
Canaan"
Once more Why would very long
time Excluding the preter-natural agen-
cy) be necessarily required to produce a
black race? 1t is very well known that
birds of the finch tribe, if fed on hemp
seed, will turn black. Mr.. Darwin says
that in the West Indies, about three gen
eratons are enough to produce very
great change in the fleece of sheep. In
Africa their fleece degenerates into a
coarse hair. The mastif and the goat
from Thibet, when brought down from