New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS
AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES.

lu>trdlcu . m,r, . N
THE ANTIQUITIES OF TENNESSEE AID IiiE nD
JACENT STATES The state Of Abortsdndni ~ her
scric. Of Historical and Ethnological studies. i!
G.. p. Thruston. Illustrated ROYAL ovo' hooer'
,pE AHT1orITIE or THE STATE OF OHIO: FIJI
and accurate Description %" dd t .scrc %oI Enclosures
MOUNDS. h censt ciids and TomGs and their Contents
implements, Ornaments. sculpture c ro,cs '"T NV
l ITsSy1 win Vi sn ~ p pl'34rt; Ito. ''eE Eo6e af' cisFIo & q.
TRANsAcTIoS2 or Eth TIE k4H, IN ShAnh H Re- poriS
Iase 1o5s, Compiled by +. q. Adams, sccre-
tarv. Topeka.
A. the nrcsent time the most interesting subject
connected with the study Of American ah'Iq"''lcs j.
tina, ~ Indian religion. The disorders among the tribes
in the Dakotas have turned the thoughts Of many to a
remarkahIe problem. which has hitherto proved prac
,ically insoluble. that is, how 10 graf on The prlinl
tiytsm of the American savage the ideas OF ci'lillatioh
that will make for the peace and wcllbeing Of his race
To uproot the primltivi,m is impossible without DC
s,royIng the race utterly. Professor Bandclicr cahhoV
he said to offer a solution in this partial account OF his
comnlete and careful studies among the village Indians
Of New Mexico and Arizona. sonora ana Chhuai"a'
But he shows that the efforts of Spanish churcthhci
resulted in some important and permanent chahscN VI
the better: in the acceptance of a supreme deiy' known
nv the Spanish name dos a belief in the inteIccNSioh
Of the saints; in baptism as a sacrament OF the Ca,nono
Church. though the ZuniS have a fear that the rte j.
fatal 10 children a reverence for the mass a oeSiIc i'
bnrial I'm consccratcd ground. and a Marked thohsh ny
no means thorough. improvement IN the ndt'c VI -
spect for the marriage tie. What has not been accom-
pljshcd is the removal from the mind OF the savage VI
the idea that all religion is merely magical in it, opera
ton, and that its sole purpose Is t. encct changes I'll
his material condition. CheriShing these errors II j.
not a matter Of surprise that the Indian cllheS 10 III
idols and to his ancient ritual. a well as TO 'he oc'c,
opinions which lie has been taught. mlneihE 'hc"i III
together in a way pulling to the ethnologI't. Inc VIC
tim and not the master Of the forces of nature ne mas
learned from the ages only that he must piSc"'e 'V''
forces. He feels himself Obliged to Yield 10 nature : T"
croachments. where civilized man offers successful aWn
profitable resistance. and so, " The phyN'cai qnaHue> VI
IN. Indian. for which we envy him. are the result OF com
pulsorv pliability rather than OF superior endowment
Indian religion bows 70 the season Tor us r'e' il
borrows from them and from atmosphere Phenomena
It's symbols. II places animals on a ioo''nS u cl""i''
with mankInd-often even they are recognized a : Ills
sunerior, and placed before him a model, OF conduct.
Indian religion assumes utter hclple,snesS on Inc
part of man within the natural realm II cN'"
crimes on that account, and denies IetrbutIoh DcH VI"
the grave Nevertheless, the Indian was rs demo
cratic and communal in his conception OF the Naii'u
pantheon which he imagined a he was in ms own
life. Wherever he is found 10 have the notion 81 a
supreme deity. he is certain 10 have borrowed il from
civilized man. Tie personality with whlch he IL
vests his deitles lifts him a little above the glp>N'Nt
fetichism of the African tribes, but there are phases
of his idola,ry which are nearer 70 ictichlNrh' lhd' - inc
magical reverence for things. than to tdolatrY "hl'h mas
generally a personal and human aspect. lie i a Save
to the belief in ~witchcraft with all its attendant horrors
and secret murders, and he has always been adul''eu
TO dances which were supposed to nave a na9'dI
efficacy, or were acknowledged 10 be of obscene I'M
port. With this explanation IN view. one can easily
sec the intent Of the Messiah dance in the Northwest
II is a magical process necessary TO brlne Inc per
sonace for whom the Indians are looking. Professor
Bandelier remarks the fact that the SpaniardS soon
found that preparations for 4 dance always meant
mischief. and he also en- pha>izcs the rctccnce As to
..ii,iors rraciices which i "A characteristic not ONLY OF
the southwestern Indian, but also his congcner oil
the North. lie defends the Spanish Indian pohcS rom
the wholesale charges that have been brought against
IL. and the usefulness of the report Is IN general en-
HANGED by copious citations from spanish authorities
His views upon the subject Of Indian mIsra'loiis
an practically in accord with those advanced
with such clcarness and philosophic lhNieht
BY Lewis II. Morgan in The North American
Review, 1863 and 1870. though he seems TO cr'dl'
the Indian with greater freedom of movement on The
plains, previous TO the time when horses "ere IN
PRODUCED, than Morgan was willing TO conccde' lie
would have us believe thai before he learned 10 use
the horse the Indian Of Inc prairie was a perfect
nomad; indeed, the only perfect nomsd in America
while Morgan INSISTED that previous 10 the advent
Of Europeans the Indians could have occupied
only districts Of very limited extent along
the wooded margins Of the elcat river. In re-
ligion he has strengthened with a vast number OF
details that came that came under his own ob'erva-
ton the system discovered and presented by Cushing
His description of the physical conditions under
which the Indian Of the southwest lives. Of the
historical influences 10 which he has been subject. Of TIC
social organizations which he ha, created, and OF the
customs to which he i practically Il Slave. renders the
report one Of the deepest interest. II l. 10 hr
followed by another part dealing specially with
archaeology.
NJ. Thru,ton's laGd.omc vollm". with its array Of
figures and plato. each fully described, j. 20 the
reader like A trip through q museum. Necessarily.
where 50 much space has 10 be given mp 10 the lis
tory Of each specimen. % That the investigator may
know where il was found and under what conditions.
there is little ROOM for a " tcnatic dhd general view
of the whole subject which the specimens illustrate.
Eut the author by hi, citations has furnished much
material for comparative study. lie has grouped rs
fcnres under a natural division Of topics-the ancient
graves and carjhworks If Tennessee; the ancient
houses and trade the inscribed stones. Image. ldJlS'
the crania of the aborlginc>, accompanied with meas
uremcnt tables, the pottery. the tobacco pipes. Inc
cbippcd stone implements. the smooth stone implc-
ments. articles made OF copper, bone and slcll. As
an inference from the character Of these objects aud
especially from the appearance Of the skulls which
lave been cAhumed. Mr. ThluSton subScrihrs 10 the
opininn that the mound builders Of the region east OF
tmo NISsis>ippi River were closely related TO the PEG
pe Of The southwest. but that they were not distinct
from, the general stock Of tho North American Indians:
he indicates his belief that the prehistoric inhabitants
of Tennessee probably nourishcd four or 1--WE centuries
sro. and he would put the age even Of the earliest
Monuments in the Ohio and Cumberland valleys at
less than a thousand years. lie peaks of them gencr
sly a, SUI. wor,hippcrs, but the figured gorScts or
bre,st ornaments which are pictured in his book lndl
cate a more miscellaneous belief, in which animals were
also looked upon as dcitics.
Mr.. Shephcrd's book, which is in fact the opening
part of a much larger WORK, affords "A comprehensive
view of the antique remains found in 20 many places
IN the state of OHIO. which were the objects OF very
carly study on the part II Nmcrlc nis's. II Is ac-
commanded with numerous maps and cnSravingS. and
gives an adequate review for popular reading OF thc
lnyestigatioms that have been made Of all the ancient
work, IN the state. But lie does not Away, give both
lido. - N mint, IN dispute. one would never learn