The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-10-25

OoNELl0llNn NlNNlAAlloYs.


Dr. Petrls's ssnSItounl Address before
,hS nrllhh sOluntiaiL
Ma Yo,k R'otL
Tho moat important address made at
tho recent se,lion OF the British AUO.
citation Of Scientists was that by Prof,
W. n, Flinders Petrls, D, o, l. LTA D.,
Edwards Professor OF EsYrtoIogy at
University College, London, DR., Petrio
is QUO OF tina most celebrated OF British
an.hropoIogiits. Ilit allres' was on
"Raco and Civilization" and in tho
course OF II he said;
Ih0 foremost principle which should
DO alwRysin view IL that tho civilization
OF any rico ii not system which eau
be changed Mt will. Evary civilization
IL the growing product OF very com.
pl0x sot oil conditions, dependin- on
racl and character, on climate, on trade
and every innutiN OF tho circumstances,
10 attempt TO alter such Il System apart
from il Conditions Is impossible. No
change ia legitimate or beneficial TO the
real character OF a people except what
Howe from conviction and tho natural
growth OF The mind. AndlItNe lmpDsi.
ton oil lorGign system is injurious,
how miserable 10 the l0FG!ag Of Sysiem
such Us ours, which Is the most complex,
unnatural anl artificial that has DoBn
known; u system developed In cold
country, amid one OF the hardest, least
sympathetic and most seli.d6nying aud
calculating oil all peoples OF tho world.
The result ia death; we make u dead.
house and call Il. civilization. Scarcely
aslnIlO race eau bear tho contact and
tho burden. Aud then We talk com.
paCentlv about the mysterious decay OF
savagss before white mou2
Let us turn now to our attempts on
q higher race, the dOgeneraled aud
Arabizel defendants OF a great people,
tho Egyptians. Here there IL much
ability to work on, and also q good
standard OF comfort aud morality, con-
formablo to our notions. Yet tho plaat.
ing OF another civilization is scarcely to
bo borne by them. Tho Europeanizod
Egyptian IL, in most cases, tho mere
blotting paper Of civilization. absorbing
what is most superficial aud undesira.
Die. Yet some will say, Why not plant
all we eau? What can DO tho harm oil
raising tho intellect in some caIeI Ii wo
cannot do it In all? The harm is that
you manufacture idiots. Some OF the
Deasautry are taught to read aud write,
aud the result Of this burden which
their fathers bore not, is that they be-
come fools. cannot say this too plain
ly; an Egyptian who has had reading
and writing thrust on him is, in every
case that / have met with, halt.Witied,
silly, or incapable OF taking care OF
himself. His intellect and his health
have beer undermined and crippled by
the forcing OF education.
Our bigoted belief in reading and
writing Is not in the least justified
when We look at the mass OF mankind.
The exquisite art and noble archiisC.
ture oil Mykenas. the undying song Of
Homer, the extensive trade OF the
Bronze Age, and belonged TO people
who nevOr read or wrote The great
essentials OF valuable character
moderation. justice. sympathy, polite.
ness and confederation, quick observa.
ton, slIrewdnegs, ability to plan aud
prearrRngo, keen sense Of the uses and
properties Of things-all these are the
qualities on which | value my Egyptian
friends, aud such qualities arc what
should DO evolved by any education
worth tho name. Tbs greatest oduCa.
tional in,lusnue, however, Is example.
This IL obvious when wos see how rapidly
tho curses nj our civilization spread
among those unhappily subjected TO it.
fTbn 1Nnt.cg 81 tnrnDooua viii lpynr
race, Is umo,! alwRya detrimout, ani
1t is tho severOsl reelection OH ourselves
that auCh should ho tho case. 1t Is
subject which has g,ycn much room for
thought In my avn dealings with the
Egyptian peasant TO consider how ths
dcleterious effect il produced aud how
II is to DO avoided. Frr,, II is duo to
CarelGssncss in leaving temptations
open to natives which may DO no temp
tntiUns to Ourselves. To DO Caroleps
about sixpencOs is rs domornlizing 10
them Rs n man who tossed sOv0roirns
about tho street woull DO to u.s. il
man or Il government dolrauls II is but
natural 10 tho suller0r to try TO recon-
pcuas himself by any means available,
and thus an intermlnablo gyatCm oil TO-
prisals Is Sat mp. Such ia tho chronic
state OF tho Oalt at pr0iont among tho
more civilized races. Tho Egyptians
arc notorious for their avarico aud are
usually credited with bong invctorato
nonoy.GraDbors, yet no sooner do thOy
find that this systOn OF ropriaala Is
abandoned aud strict JUSTICE maintained
than they al once respond to It, aud
when couiiiouCu has onrs been gained
Ii Is almost W common to find man
dispute an account AGAINST his own IA.
torsst as Tor hiu'cli, aud scarcely ever
/, any attompt made nj false statements
or impositions. Such Ia tho healthy re-.
Rponio to straightforward dealing with
tn,n,