St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-29
IsRAELITE AND INDIAN.
Capt MaIIery's Sensational Con-
tributiOn to Science.

Capt. MailePy'S Sensational Con-
tributiOn to Science.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S.-COl. Garrick
Mallery, of the Smithsonian Institution,
who is recognized as an authority on In
dian traditions, religions and languages,
has just completed a contribution to
science that is likely to cause consider
able stir in geological circles. 1t is en-
titled "Israelite and Indian, Parallel
in Plans OF Culture" and was written
for the American Association for the
Advancement OF Science. of which he is
the vice president and chief of the antb-
rOpOIOgical section. In this report, Col.
Mallory OverthrOwS and completely de-
mOlishes popular and almost universal
theory that all the savage tribes of
America, before their contact with civil
lizatiOn had formulated and established
religious faith, believed in a single
supreme being, future life and sys-
TEN OF rewards and punishmentS after
death. This theory which has been
accepted and disseminated by religious
missionaries Of all denominations among
the Indian has been the chief
LINK To CONNECT THEM
with the prehistoric races of the Mosaic
era and at the same time has been used
TO demonstrate that man as a creature.
however ignorant or degraded, was
dlYinely inspired with revelation or
an instinct that recognized the one SUI
preme being, the immortality of the
soul and hope of happiness or fear of
misery after death, according as his
worldly life was spent. Col. Mallery re-
ports that after years of investigation
into the traditions of all the North
4 ,nTT1 4..1f.
eight ling stocks and more than 500
languages, he has been forced to the
conclusion that the abOrigines had no
such instinct and no such religious be-
lief until after contact with European
civilization, when they gained it from
the missionaries. These missionaries,
he says, were imbued with the dogn a,
and sought and therefore found EVIL
dence Of one primeval faith, but were
piSled by their own enthusiasm. He
continues: After careful examination,
with the assistance of explorers and
linguiSIS, reaSSert my statement that
no tribe or body of Indians before mis-
siOnary influence, entertained and
formulated distinct belief in single
overriding Great Spirit or any being
that correspondent to the
CHRISTIAN CONCEPTION OF GOD.
But | freely admit. with even more
emphasis, that an astounding number
of customs of the North American In
dians are the same as those recorded of
the ancient Israelites." He tells, too,
Of the experience of W. W. Warren,
who translated the Bible and history of
the Ojibway nation. and was Invariably
met with the remark from the native
priests: This book must be true, for
our ancestors have told us similar stories
generation after generation, since the
world was new;" and only last year.
when a well-infOrmed chief of the Mus
kOkas was being questioned as to the
religious myths and legends of his tribe,
he replied: They are all in the Old
Testament. We can read them there
without the trouble of taking them
down from our people," Col. Mallerv
also argues that it is useless to attempt
to Christianize the Indians until after
they have been civilized.