Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1894-08-10
NEGRO AND THE CAUCASIAN.
FORMER NOT INTELLECTUAL
AND MORALLY INFERIOR TO
LATTER.
Facts Cleaned From the History OF the
World to Prove the Genius of the Airi-
can Race When Not Handicapped.

of the Ne DraSlSa AtrO-Amerlcan league
is one of the few things that escape the
general public notice, but that organi-
zation is nevertheless rapidly gaining
in membership and influence. Its
members include some of the best
known representatives of the colored
race in the west and there is noted a
gradual but none the less certain I'M
proyement in the character OF the
colored men who participate in busl-
ness and professional life in thai state.
This improvement can largely be traced
to the intelligent efforts of the gentle
men who are at the head of the AFRO
American league in Nebraska. The
league recently held it's fifth annual
session, at which an interesting pro-
gramme gave zest to the business mat
ters before the convention. Herewith
is a Synopsis of one of the leading ad-
dresses delivered before the league
convention. 1t was by Mrs. M. 3.
Palmer, prominently identified with
educational work in that state Mrs.
Palmer spoke on the subject, is the
Negro Intellectually and Morally the
Inferior of the Caucausian?'
She first traced the chronological his
tory of the Ethiopian race IRON the
earliest times, proving from lndls-
putable records that the Ethiopian civ
ilization preceded by thousands OF
- xxy1,iph cnrJnpinU
from the loins of Egypt, gave to Greece
her first lession in culture and whose
influence gradually lifted the world
from barbaris1n to enlightenment.
.sTo do my subject Justice said the
sneaker. II must refer to facts proved
true by history. / find that human
kindness has three branches proper,
the Aryan race, the Semitic and Ham
tic Under the third branch is clas-
s,fied the Chaldeans and the Egyptians.
From these nations history sprang.
We thus find with us history had its
beginning on the banks of the Nile.
Gazing back through the vistas of ages
we behold time when Egypt was
noised upon the pinnacle OF national
splendor. The Egypt of the Pharoahs,
Of the pyramids, of the sphynx and OF
the Nile was the veritable cradle of
civilization. The Egyptian then looked
with contempt upon the half savage in
habitants of Greece. The Greek was
tolerated only as mercenary in Egyp-
tian armies. He was permitted to col
onize only the Egyptian borders AS
the centuries crept or the Greek ap-
Piled to the Egyptian philosophers and
obtained wisdom, and then slowly the
star of Greece began to rise until the
heel of the once despised Greek became
planted on the neck OF the degenerating
Egyptians.
:sBut looking more deeply into the
records we learn that, great as was the
antiquity of Egypt, she was preceded
by a famous race more ancient still,
from which she herself obtainedthef first
LIGHT of civilization. Down from ETHIOPIA
came that wisdom, knowledge and
piety which laid the foundations Tor
the brilliant achievements of the dwell
ers on the banks of the Nile. In the
most ancient temples of Egypt sacred
paintings represent black priests con-
ferring upon Egyptians the Instruments
and symbols of sacerdotal office Not
the least interesting fact dlscovera BILE
in this connection is that the divinity
whom half of Christendom to-day wor-
ships is survival of that tblack-skinned
Goddess Myriomoma. whom ETHIOPIA
first taught Egypt to adore and who be-
came first the Isis of Egypt, then the
chief Goddess of Rome and Greece, and
finally the Mary of the Roman Cath
olic church. Thus does the original
cult of the black still live and flourish
in the proudest centers of civilized
Chrlstendom.
..rhe comparative study of history,
which alone can give each race its true
place in the calandar of time, is still in
it's infancy. A few years ago Elmer
son knew no better than to write, 1T is
race, is it not, that puts the hundreds
of millions of India under the domin-
ion of a small, remote island in the
north of Europe? Today every school
child is taught that the white. conquer
ing Englishman and the black, sub
iected Hindoo are brothers OF the same
race. branches of one parent stock,
separated in their childhhod. The
ethnoloeist now replies to Emerson,
Race it is clearly not that enables the
Aryan of England to politically en-
slave the Aryan of India. Moreover,
in a world where a thousand years Is
but dav, it is scarce moment since
England herself was political slave to
the Norman.
sIt is not question of intellectual
or creative superiority. If the first
Young germs Of three different plants
be placed before botanist he cannot
with all the aids of science, define the
difference The same can be tried
with the embryos OF animals and OF
man himself. Let the most skll!tui
scientist apply the most searching
tests to distinguish one from the other
and he will fail. Therefore we can
not say that one race is superior to
another according to creation, or
classify them according to the contour
of the skull or the conyolutions OF the
brain. for ethnologists now generally
recognize but one origin for all man
kind and attribute all differences to
climate. location and habits of life.
..The black man of Africa, along the
coast where nature is least lavish OF
her cifts to man and where the rivalry
of tribes is fiercest, the native races of
to-day exhibit the most intelligence
In the forest, where the climate de-
mands no clothing and where fruits
furnish food without cultivation, there
the African intellect is found in it's
most dormant condition. Man is there
fore an animal that requires the sharp
goad of necessity and the sting OF com
petition for the development OF his
innate powers. In our own country we
see this truth strikingly manifested IN
the comparison of the Negro cared Tor
by a master with the Negro cared Tor