New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-15

NAV h. said Of almost every North American
..,S. ,,r,or had been by nature a social being
Il &c certan that the architecture and art OF Mex
-, ,ho uritiug OF Mayas and the Agriculture
Of the Peruvians would not have been isoia'eu'
r,ut tho ,nyeterate tendency Of the tribes vas "
.on,rat. from each other. Removal was easy'
1,ha,a Was always room and subsistence. anu 50
II WAS only when a group hit Upon spec'a"s
favorable locality that there was any aodl''o''a'
development OF the average American i''o al
architect. a painter. geln-cut'eT o. "
hieroglyphics. Professor Ratzei aoso'Ne' 'D
Europeans from having crushed OUT the ti'"'"e
civilizations of the New World. lie nous 'I'"'
the so-called cities OF Yucatan were desei'eo oe
fore the white man came. and tha' '"e o''
American was Just as ready to leave MS 'e'''p'es
and houses OF stone as his temporary i'
bouebs. In the new home he was hKeiy 10 loi
get everything about his past except 'iia' e no"
suffered from famine or disease relapss
those occupations that were lhuispe"s'oo
life So civilization In America consis'eu siihpi'
~ ar Indefinite number Of brilliant beginnings.
CONSIDERING that these are compared faVorapiy
with the early Civilizations Of Asia and Egypt
the Inference Is plain that failure was que not
to lack OF intelligence. but OF perseverance anu
Numbers These portions OF mankind says
Professor Ratzel. ARE kept back not 50 much
hv causes within themselves as by external con-
ditions; 1. is not much that the sources Vi
mental capacity flow variably as that the SOIL
which they water Ia Of extremely varying pro-
ductiveness."
The surprise at the failure OF the American
Indian TO accomplish more than he dlo Is ho'
greater than that at the actual achevements OF
the men OF the Far North. Where nature hau
withheld almost every facility OF lfe' humanity
might he expected to live only as the pru'eS
live. But the EsQulmau surpasses even cNiIizeu
man in turning the most unpromisins material
10 use. He can make an elastic DOW out Oh "a4
rotten wood. He has the eye Of an artist for Nv
inc nsures and a hand TO trace them such az
few civilized men possess He has good stories
and he knows how to tell them Nor IS there
Ice, 70 say IN praise of the Lapps. the samoyeds.
tho Tuncooses and in general all the tribes OF
Northern Siberia Where nature isniggardly man
is viciIant. The American Indians Of the tropics
mt Of an abundant fora have found uses TOT
few plants But the Chukchis a scanty almost
unknown people Of Siberia, find on rock ana
tundra where TO the inexperienced eye nothing
grows tventy-three edible plants. They can
oeht the scurvy without lime juice. and also
bove q few vegetables occasionally with their
abitual diet OF fish ard flesh. No better exam
pIes could be given than they are OF the fac'
that necessity Is the cause OF mans soc!ai ten
denotes They are driven to live together py
royerty and cold and they have developer all
the ceremonious politeness upon which men OF
the world pride themselves IN cities lhey quar-
rel calmly but with fatal Intensity II the dispute
4, not adjusted. They take defsh' IN puo4c
speaking and in poetry, and some tribes nave d
drama Of their own In short they have varied
ATTITUDES and most OF the virtues tnat cohulo-
ute TO social comfort. And yet they nave ais
agreeable habit Of killing fathers ana mo'"ei'
who outlive their usefulness as WORKERS. ana
thAv are said sometimes 10 bury alive WIDOWS
.rd rno.h.rIsss children. in order to avoid the
burden Of supporting them. But thelr "o'S'
vice. and in this they are Ike the America"
Indian has been brought to them by the'r CIV
tlixed neighbors. They are inordinateiy roma Oh
Russian brandy To this more than 10 an! o'h'r
cause Is attributed their falling on IN nuthoe'>
Professor Ratzei takes gloomy views on poiH''
of this sort He is convinced that IN; America"
Indians are diminishing, though he mas pretty
strong authority against him. and so IL IL 10 oe
e1pectcd that he should say the same OF the
Arctic races where evidence appears conclusive
But rum does not appear TO him an uhfh'Heu
evil He seems 70 think whiskey a positive ao-
vantage 10 the negro.
In the case Of oil these nature races F'o'e''''
Ratzel gathers testimony 70 expioue III ef'o'
that has been persistent They ar io' Tess s"o-
,ect than the civilized man 10 disease the mo
Ton ., South America succumbs 10 a cold that a
white man would consider tribe. hrcuc mem
with the exception Of the Lspps. are short-iVed'
ana IN. immunity OF the negro from fevers Is a
.ah,e These are little facts 70 remember when
the effect of civilization is discussed 1t favors
some forms Of disease. but these are not so IN
in,cal 20 life as Is sometimes supposed Inc
enormous detail In the text Is well supported by
the illurtrations Of the volume But the proof
reading occasionally leaves something 70 De de-
sired Such a clip as "Portr'an' for "ParHnah
is calculated 70 give the Intelligent reader
{ shock
DIR. ADLERS LECTURE.