Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-04-11
THE LIcuRlANs.
An Anch.nt European People who have
No History.

-
No History.
In prehistoric times central France
and southern Germany was peopled by q
race which scientists have a9reed to
call the Lignrian. The Ligurians never
had a history. as from time immcmorial
they were a conquered people and al
ways rcckoned by writer's among their
masters, subject TO Gaul or Teuton,
Roman or German, but in all ages
forming the basis Of the population.
They had yellow skins originally, like
the Mongolis.is, but steady infusion
Of white blood through many CEN
turtles has frightened their complex
ions. without, however, affecting the
characteristics of their hair and eyes,
and they remain to-day race isolated
In their peculiarities
They are very ancient people, and
their antiquities fall quite rs much TO
the domain Of the geologist as TO the
historian; once they ranged over half
the continent. but on the advent OF the
white man they were broken up and
scattered TO the winds. and In far away
frozen Lapland. among the icebergs OF
the Arctic seas. remnant still lives
on, crowded into the ice corners OF
Europe by the invaders. Who would
suspect the barbarons Lapps OF snow
bound Russia 20 be identical in race
with the dark-haired people OF Ger
many? Yet so they are, and in their
wintry retreat they have preserved
their racial purity and are the living
representatives of what the South Ger
mans were centuries ago.
Like the Sclavs. these Ligurians were
promptly Teutonized and apparently
became Germans; but centuries OF in
termarriage has not altered their
physical type; similarity Of language
aud customs and cohesion in govern
ment gives them indeed national
unity, but the resemblance is super
fetal. and TO the student of anatomy
the true German is no more like a red
Indian than he is like his dark-haired
countryman Of the south.
To the northwest Hanover and the
Rhine have ialways been the historic
center from which German influence
has spread. and here. n anywhere. the
true German ought 10 be found. But
even here the people are mongrels. and
no less an authority than Prof. Vir-
chow states that the true German is 10
be found to-day only on the coast OF
Hanover and in the East Frisian isles;
but he Is not even sure of that, and re-
ports their persistence there as pos
sible discovery. In early times many
Gaulic tribes settled about the Rhine.
mingling their blood with the natives,
and indeed Polabish. Sclavic dialect
akin TO Polish, was widely spoken in
Hanover and became extinct only with
in the last century.
There was once. in the time Of the
Romans, q genuine German race. They
created n great stir In the world, dis
putting Italy with Marius and Gaul
with Cesar; they annihilated the
legions Of Verrcs: they hammered NJ
the gates of the empire until they
broke through all barriers. and finally
Rome herself perished at their hands
Bat their history belongs to antiquity
they seem to have expended them
selves in remolding and binding to
gether the various races whom they
conquered and settled among; they i'm.
posed their language and the peculiar
color OF their genius upon Gaul. Ii
gurian and Sclav alike, but were them
selves strangers and aliens in the land
history has named after them.
Like the Normans in England they
have vanished from off the face of the
earth as a distinct race, alb orbed in
the mass OF their subjects, and leaving
only their influence behind them.
But however diverse the German pee
pie may be in race and antecedent'
they are now magnificent unit as q
nation. .-Chicapo Times