Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-09
IHL IEII IIITls
In Tie conrse Of bus remarks Professor

already familiar 20 me az that % the author Of
the Declaration OF Independence aud one 81 the
frat Presidents OF the grca, republic whlch was
80 largely his own y alton. Bat 10 vas q most
revelation % find that he was Also the founder
Of this noble Institution. the Aiita RGfp % 50
many prominent citizens Of the United states.
10 was specially interesting % mo also 10 as
cover shat jefferson wcs. In sense the pioneer
q chronological aud Archaeological studies IN me
/ NOrh American continent NiiDin fnlle % TINS
spCt iies the elt0 Of the first mound ever Opcucu
in the states for purely scientific purpose,
and mat was The work OF this man oil many
parts, a. be Informs M In his notes on the
State Of Virginia Ia the same Work ne mas
left rs an 4 lWiraIle study Of the African Hnd
American Indian races, every word OF which i3
rs true now "a n was when penne1 about nun
drcd years ago. may hero mention ih;i tha'
may not De 20 generally known Inc Two re-
markable heads worked IN stone and iouno near
Palmyra, IN Tennessee, were rescued from de-
struction bv Jefferson, and later found their way
from his collection. one % Washington, the other
70 the extensive collection Of my friend Sir. Mann
;. Valentine, % Richmond city.
OLD ASSOCIATIONS.
Bat Of all the surprises reserved for me In
this hos pitablc land, assUrodiy the greatest and
moef agreeable was tho invitation Of the worthy
chairman Of your faculty 10 visit his famous scat
a. letters and address rs members on some sub
, feet Of my own choice. Certainly had person
ally little claim 10 such an honor 10 which new
crtheless | could not fan 70 recognize sOmo-
what appropriate act Of courtesy when ieinetn-
, nerel how the history Of this institution had
from The ret been ISOLATED with that % the -ls-
ter foundations IN the oil land through such d.
tiuguishci names az those OF Professors hey ana
Long. names ever green IN the memory OF heir
colleagues on hotu sides OF the Atlantic waters.
While casting about for q suitable 'heme on
which TO entertain you for a brief span my at
tentiOn was naturally drawn 10 the course OF
studies pursued by your faculty. and thi7
course suggested topic IN which | would fam
h0po that all ~ you may feel more or less III
tcTested. In his curriculum, al in that Of most
centres % learning in bOtn hemispheres, there
IL what b. my MUD has always seemed
a strange omission. All due attention II
, hero given 10 the wOTks OF Nature. a. we'll
Is 10 those Of man, geology. chemistry,
biology, languages, hia DRY, letters. Bat man
/ himself j. apparently forgotten. AnthropoiOsical
studies are mainly overlooked no proper pro
vision l5 anywhere made except, perhaps, at q q
sorDOnue for serious research I'm any branch OF
tthuOlOgy. Yet Tor many generations we have
been repeating the commonplace idea mat
"man ~ me noblost study 81 man This being
q branch Of inquiry on Wh b have myself been
mainly engaged for q great part Of my public
life, trus. you Will no, think ~ presumption on
/ my part N my remarHs On tho subject take q
somewhat practical form, and II venture 10
plead The cause OF ny ihNonie ruralht DC
fore your faculty Ia the whole ciiiizoi
world | cannot conceive moro Appropriate
seat Of learning ~ promoting The Investigation
Of such matters IN all their varied aspects than
thia University 10 is not for mo g. SAY what
particular form the enrourageIne4t Il ethnOlo-
! glcal research should tsEe, bat ! Will say that
: here are a, hand al tho elements needed
TOR the successful pursuit - the sui lect, both
from tho theoretical and practical standpoint.
! Here two great branches 81 tho most opposite
/ types Of humanity Cad ia ous Ives placed side
/ by side, the currents OF thoir respective dcvel-
/ opmeDts flowing in Tie closest contact.
Int without mingline their elements. Ike
. those mountain streams which Tow in
separate channels through certain lacus-
! iriue basins Without merging IN tho sur-
.aHH.
absolutely unique in the BE 'Ords Of human cul-
J. turc, with Oh i's endless interviewer rel6u Ms.
present. clinical problems ~ the deepest into
rest and for tho desiinies 81 this land OF the
+ mott vital importance, problems which are in
/ every way worthy Of ne attention ~ the states
! man and philosopher NOW, where can such
/ problems DO 80 congcnientlv grappied with as .n
; such q seat OF learning "A inns? Romoycd from
/ tho actors are neccs'arlally basel one
way or the other, and ia any case lack
tho leisure 20 weigh conflicting Interests
/ In an equal balance, you alone can ieol your
selves competent 10 deal calmly with these
/ oDstruse questions. IN the magnificent language
3 % the old Roman poet
/ Suave rlari magnO, turbantpus, RquOra vents
terra mngnum altorius, sns ,taro laborem-
YOU can here. raised far above the stOrm-tosseH
sea OF party strife, survey tho situation with no
composed serenity o. science and approach
/ those themes iu the spirit ~ rerfituie and i'm
/ partially which alone can promise a successful
/ issue. Then your voice must Do heard above
he angry Wranglings of clasning Interests, aud
I whenever You shsli undertake % pronounce
} with tina authority ~ science on any gwen so.
/ cial or racial proAl0m5 Hszo ',Ated with these
abnormal conditions, your decision mus needs
/ De received X not Win universal appreciation a
I least with respectful sionce. Truly taia b, n
/ duty that Won owe 20 the OLA Dominlon- the
, YOU should III some such way cOnUirIfo o.
1 staunch her wounds, 10 s0othe her sOrIows O.
/ lend Il silver lining TO those dark Clouds stu
banking up against the azure SKY and shroud-
I ing the uear future in all he mystery aud ter
, r0rs OF tie unknown.
BoUEDLFss RESOURCES.
And what magnificent aids you nave ready "a
hand IN yOur prosecution Of these anthrOpOiOgi
cal inquiries Need here recall the boundless re-
/ sources, the vast materials already accumulated
J on your very borders IN tie Smithsonian lnstitu-
ton. an institution which again helps TO promote
"A community OF thought, and thus Ink closer To-
] gether tho eastern AMI western worlds: for
| can never forget that while its foundation Is
due 10 the munificencc Of q follOw-couutrymau
! OF mine. his generosity has already been more
J than hundred-foid repaid by he good WORK a.
: cOmplished aud layishly returned 10 tho Old
country in those priceless annual reports aud
/ other scientific publications distributed with
| independently Of their local importance the
chronological questions here calling for adequate
/ treatment are matters OF tbs deepest aud
} most abiding Interest for all men OF science We
often hear Il said. for instance that a race the
4 Africans are Incapable OF indefinite progress. II
I is even conended' that there arc physiological
grounds for this inherent racial defect, that the
cranial suturps close earlier IN the African thnn
! Ia the Caucasian peoples. thereby arTestlrg the
fun expansion OF the cerebral conyolutions.
Hence, &c - argued, although up 10 O
certain age Tho man OF color may be as
/ Intelligent as his white neiIhbOr' ar
1 tor that MI further mental growth n
! arrested and no remains moro or loss OF "a child
] for the rest Of his DAYS Who're can "a question
Fr.fst
, welfare Of the southern states be so we'll stud q
; as in this great school Of tho arts and sciences
! plated on The very spot whore tho TWO elements
exist in the closest juxtapositlonf Again, bow
/ much truth los In the contention that the Af.i-
! can IS essentially not 80 much an immoral a5 q
/ moral beng-a being with no cloar sons0 oi
! Justice as between man and man, being with y
/ soul dark as his body-iilumincd ~ no spark Of
poetry. destitute OF tho finer sentiments by which
! other branches OF tho human family are so richly
endowed. la these points We are, suppose, all
I free to hold our own Vows; but II deeply con-
/ Germs the welfare OF this Commonwealth 10 de-
| lermine on sure grounds whether the adverse
Views rest on any solid foundation Of facts or no.
For with the solution OF the question either wsy
/ are largely bound up the future social aud pO-
| liUcai deatinies, the continued Advancement o.
! decline Of these glorious southern lands. 1 have
/ myself given expression 20 some very decide
| though IL may DO premature opinionsf on
these momentous questons. Butwhat value eau
such conclusions have as drawn mainly from 40
for The frst time come into personal contact with
large numbers OF the race be may possibly here
be grossly libeiling7 On the other hand, wha'
immense weight would necessarily attach 10 tEO
teachings OF learned corporation. such as
yours on all these interesting points OF compara-
tive ethnOiogy.
And when we survey the broad leld OF this
pouudless Federal Union. stretching from ocean
10 ocean, and crossing 0fyy parallols OF latitude,
we already descry other clouds looming w ON
the far western and norIheastern horizons,
clouds with which mono OF "a arc hero
concerned, except again from tho purely an
| thrOp0logicsl standpoint There Is the gefolr
cloud slowly spreading along the Pacidc sea-
board and the uhGe cloud Just appearing above
the busy hives Of industry on tho southeast ca
madam frontier. Ana the hedmAn is still IN
your midst: ia some places doubtless moving
towards tho vanishing point. but In others APP
parenfly holding his own and preparing possi-
bio clements Of trouble for ths future Then
.lAmongst others by Professor Filippo Manetta
IN la Razza Ssgra mel aus state Ssiraggio, &c.
ftArticle . Negro" In Encyclopedia Britasniea,
ne.R e1itsoul