Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-30

The Latest Contribution to the Gaiety
OF the World.

NNiCNkp lllbNUe.
II there ever were an Adam was he a
Chlnaman? II there ever were an Eve was
she an almond-eyed, tiny-footed Celestlal2
II there ever were a Garden OF Eden was
1t in China? II there ever were a snake
In that garden was It dragon Of the Chinese
sort-too hideous of aspect to have enticod
any woman to sin?
These questions are now likely to agltate
the scientific world IL not tho theological
one. 1t is probable the latter will scout them
altogether as irrelevant, IL not irrcvcrcnt.
The scientific, however will probably stop
to consider, as 1t always does whenever a
new proposition is advanced
The new proposition that Adam was a
Chinaman has been advanced by Prof. j. de
Morgan. for many years director general OF
antiquities OF the Egyptian government His
contention Is that the civilization of Egypt
came by way OF Assyria from central China.
hence. that our civilization did not come
primarily from Assyra and Egypt, but from
China. He says that the African race went
directly from flint to iron, and that the link
of bronze is missing. That link he finds In
China, where there was the regular ad-
vance from stone to bronze and from bronze
TO iron. and hence he concludes that the art
of working metals came from China to
AsSyria and from Assyra to Egypt. More
Than this he finds that the hieroglyphlcs of
Egypt are but another form OF the writing
among the Assyrians. NJ. de Morgan Is more
or less sustained by Prof. Haupt of Johns
81 have always believed that the civiliza-
tlon Of ancient Egypt was derived from
Bsbylonia, more especially from southern
BabylOnia, bordering on the northern shore
OF the Persian gulf. The Babyloniaus who
invaded Egypt may have been Scmitcs, but
their civilization was no doubt derived from
the non-Semitic aborigines of Bahylonia-
viz: the Sumerians, Many points Of contact
between the Sumerlans and the Chinese
have already been pointed out"
Such Ia the substance of the new nrOpOsl-
| ton. The scientific and higher critics, as Is
well known, regard the Adam and Eve,
Garden Of Eden and fall of many story, found
| In Genesis as an arceat myth imported from
| Babylon or Assyria by the Jews perhaps
during the captivity. The old testament does
not state who wrote the story. The popular
| belief is that 1t was Moses, but this Is only
guesswork. Again. the scientific opinion is
| that man evolved from some lower intellect
many hundred centuries ago and slowly
| progressed above the ape species; that at
one time he might have been sort Of
| cousin to the ape, but moved on upward,
| leaving the smian species far behind.
| This theory however, did not conflict with
| the proposition of Prof. de Morgan, As-
suming that man has evolved from the ape.
it makes little difference whether the apo
was Egyptian, Assyrian, Semitic, SumeTian.
or Chinese An ape Is an ape the world
over and time out Of mind, and all dCmando
of pride of birth, as we'll as all glories OF
| ancestry, can be as well satisfied with n
Chinese ape as with any other ape. As
matter of fact, Chinese ape is probably
more picturesque than apes OF other coun-
tries, and If Adam, if there were an Adam.
came slowly up from a long line Of pre-,
! Adamites stretching back to common sim
ian beginning, we certainly should have as
much pride in our original ancestor chatter
| ing among the mulberry trees of China as
We would had he been the original occupant
| OF Edens garden. Even If the doctrine or
! evolution be unsound and Adam, If there
we're an Adam was an original special cred-
| tion as we'll as his rib, 1t does not detract
| from the reputation Of either to believe
| that they first saw the light OF day in cen,
! tral China, formed of celestial dust, and
| that the tree of knowledge may have been
! mulberry or huge bamboo, and that when
! they had sinned they went out from their
! garden 10 earn their living at raising paddy
/ by the sweat OF their faces And what is
| China" itself but another form OF the word
SIM" Adam, If there were an Adam, may
! just as well have been born in China as
| anywhere else. AS matter of fact, it is
| immateral where he was born. The world
somehow is not overwhelmingly interested in
the founder of the race-if he were the
| founder.