Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1880-09-18
WHO FIRST PEOPLED AMERIOA2

The following is from an ;lf-
ticle entitled ':Ruined Cities OF
Central America" in the North
A merican Review.
The elder theories furnish |
many instances of ingenious
hypothesis and naice creduli-
tv. To those whole sole desire
was made the history of man in
America conform to revelation,
Noah's ark presented itself as Il
convenient deus er macl'ina.
Lescarbot fails to see why Noah
should have experienced any
difficulty in reaching America,
when-his reason is remarka-
ble-"Solomon's ships made
voyages lasting three years"
Another opinion is that the
sons of Noah reached America
by land; while Orrio, in order
to show that one human pair
was equal to the task of popu-
lating the Old World and the
New, assures us that zone wo-
man can in 21O years become
the ancestor of 1,647,OSG per-
sons" In support Of a deriva-
ton from Noah, we are con-
stantly referred to the tradition
OF a foreign origin and the na-
tive hood-lnyths. According to
Lord Kinesborough, who is a
willing believer in Scriptural
analogies, the Mexican traditi-
ton of the Deluge bears ''un-
equivocal marks of having been
derived from a Hebrew source
But there is little reason to
doubt that such Of these tradi-
tions as are not wholly spurious
are in the most essential parts
''improved" by the Spanish
chronicles and priests, who
were not unaccustOnedtO to draw
H. on their imaginations for
these facts. AS a sequel to the
food-myths we came upon tra-
ditions Of the building of Il
tower Of refuge, and this has
led some writer's to identify the
Americans with certain Of the
builders of Babel, who were
scattered over the earth after
the confusion Of tongues. In
deed, there is no limit to the
fancy of the chroniclers. Eue-
rites, the chronicle of Guare-
mala, gives an interesting ac-
count OF the fabIed descent OF
the Toitees-the builders OF
many Of the finest structures OF
Central America-from the
house of Israel. These amusing
stories and speculatiOns have
their counterpart in the more OF
less frivolous theories which arc
put forward in later times with.
out the excuse of being wrap
ed by religious purpose. The
} Celtic theory is supported upol
characteristic grounds. 1t i:
| bastcd upon the idea that OH
old friend, the Welsh Prince
!, Madoc, son of Owen Gwynedd
; established his colony in Mexi
=, co, and the proof of this start
L ling assertion is threetold
0 'First, the Mexicans believe
j. that their ancestors came fror
g a beautiful country atar off, il
. habited by white people; {
=, =, ondly, they adored the cross
:. and, thirdly, several Wells
Is names are found in Mexico
> In further confederation, var
~ Gus stories are told which a
as supposed to point to eXistin
ne traces of the Welsh colony.
Is But all these theories of tt
% % origin Of American races fro
rs an Israelish stock, or from
Kymric or a G; ellie, may
he safely dismissed as the fruits
is misguided enthusiasm and pc
IN. verted ingenuity. There l
We manned, then, three hypothes'
he each of which has it's strenuo
'ss s overwhelmingly: First, til
'"a m the American races are autot
re-. thonic, and this was held
in AgasSiZ, in accordance with
he doctrine of multiple centers
ain creation; second, that they (
the Of one blood with tho races
the habiting the Eastern contine