The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-10-27
The Amcricanists' Congress

monv To the chronological unity of the
Americas, North. South and Central.
That similarity in thought. in workman
manship, in art and in religion charac-
terized the various races inhabting the
continents Of the New World before its
discovery by the white man was shown
bvevery paper dealing with the subject.
II appears that we have commonly nut
too low an estimate on the Indian. using
the term Indian rs inclusive Of all the
aboriginal inhabitants of this hemi-
sphere. The Indian. these learned men
find, was IA more intellectual being than
has been generally supposed He was
religious, with high sentiments and keen
emotions, and he was advanced politi-
calv far beyond the degree in savacerv
where he is usually placed, his political
development being measurablv infiu-
enced by his religion
The star worship of the Pawnees.
whose Skid band ordered oven their
village sites so that they reflected the
positions of the heavenly consultations.
whose wards these rcd men believed
themselves to be. was revelation Of
this New York congress Their Tirawa.
who was Of the stars, was the All-Em-
braclng Spirit, the spirit of all life and
of all power who spoke to His children
in the elemental functions Of nature
Star cults among Indians further south
and in Mexico, and in Peru. were re-
ported, each of a character to suggest
one the other.
Connections with the Old World were
shown of nature 20 indicate that
northwestern America and northeastern
Asia were once peopled by one race,
whose dominion was interrupted bv
homecoming Esquima,x There was an
American civilization as definite as the
European civilization. Really. there has
been series of civilizations, one over
coming the other and the higher form
usually dominating We were not the
first invaders We were not the first ey-
terminators. America has seen races
come, rule and be swept away in their
turn. Where savagery triumphcd as
IN the case Of one race of Mound Builders
overborne by more vigorous and rest
less stock, as in Europe. il usually fol-
lowed that the conquering race was
influenced in time by the culture of tho
conquered This has been found written
in monuments and tombs Sometimes
there can be traced the evidence Of n
ronquering races recognition of the
superior attainments Of the people il
has overthrow, and when the different
estigators compare notes the history
of an ancient invasion is completed.
The southwestern United States and
far parts of South America have been
brought together as homes Of people
communicating with each other
The ancient American fought for his
religion, and he strovc to force Il upon
those whose faith was not his. The
Christian cross following the Spanish
sword was not Americas Introduction
10 holy wars There were battles be-
tween worshippers of the sun and wor-
shippers of the moon. to establish the
civilization of either warning people
over the other, One of the most inter-
esting exhibits of tho congress was
series of Illustrations Of an ancient
Peruvian vase. showing battle for
this very purpose. The warriors were
differentiated quantity by the aboriginal
potter The civilizing conquerors are
clothed; their vanqushcd. antagonists
are pictured as naked.
Al, -, /!
were advanced beyond the stage Of
development to which they have been
assigned. So say the Amercanlst stu
dents. We have been able To consider
the art Of the Egyptian from the point
of view from which il was executed.
partly because Egyptian monuments
and papyri have offered enlightenment
IA to the daily life, habits and aspirations
OF the Nile people. But conquering
Indians In America destroyed the temples
where their vanquished foes kept their
records. Not always did the Spanish
conquerors who followed them preserve
the ancient archives that survived earlier
despoilers. Goddess which found their
way to European libraries have been
deciphered, only to disclose astronomical
data or material for the purposes of
calendar. Only now are the students,
these scholars Of the Americanist con-
gress, beginning to get near point
where they think that they will be able
to judge with some accuracy the stand
ards Of art attained by the early peoples
Of this continent.
The closest attention was given in the
congress to copies Of temple paintings
from Chichenitza, patiently made by an
English woman, a student among the
Amcricanists. who, with the company
Of native maid, works among the an
cient obsidian mines and ruins Of Mexico,
studying what is complaoently called
the crude art OF vanished races. The
Americanists have found, they say, that
only an artist is able fully to appreciate
the quality OF the drawing of these
aboriginal Americans. such, for example,
as the action in a poised spear, or the
color values plainly indicated.
Indeed, sometof the most learned and