Page:African slavery regarded from an unusual stand-point.djvu/4

 met successfully the shock of the world in arms. Upon the eagles of France these principles were carried to every corner of Europe, and the whole civilized world became snore or less indoctrinated.

About the time when this leaven was fermenting and spreading, the American Revolution was fought with the assistance of a French army, the officers of which were so imbued with enthusiastic ideas of universal liberty that men of the highest rank and fortune, in this capacity, were ready to cross the seas and assist a nation of different blood, religion and language in its struggle. At such a time they necessarily assisted in spreading their ideas among those whom they came to assist, and many of our public men became enthusiastic admirers of French literature, and imbued with its philosophy. Jefferson, himself, was especially inoculated with the notions then prevalent in Paris, and looked forward to a speedy regeneration of mankind. His great genius and powerful common sense preserved him from the extravagancies of the French philosophy, and the practical errors flowing from the doctrine, that all races of men are created free and equal. However, this abstract opinion was adopted by the nation, and a vague belief in the equality of all races has heated through the national mind of America from that day to this, as also in Europe and throughout the world. Until with in a few years, it, has been impossible to properly discuss the question, because the necessary materials could not be obtained. Until recently, history has been written as if there were only kings and nobles on the earth. Historians never examined into the social condition of a people—the origin of the races, their customs or their habits. All literature and civilization was confined to the favored few who surrounded the different courts, while the great mass of the people were serfs or slaves. No one attempted a history of the races or a scientific examination of their peculiarities. Scientific travelers had not yet brought back from all the quarters of the globe correct descriptions of what they had seen; the literature of India and China were yet sealed; the hieroglyphics of Egypt and the inscriptions of Nineveh had not yet been interpreted; the different sciences had not yet reached that stage of development which would enable men to enter upon the study of the sciences of races; but such are the immense materials now afforded for the study of this science, that we can trace back the races of the earth to the very morning of time, and solve many of the problems which have hitherto baffled the statesmen, as well as the professor. We can show that the same races have ever been distinguished by the same characteristics—some superior morally, some physically, some intellectually—some exhibiting maritime tastes, others agricultural, others pastoral. Every race has its own modes of thinking; every race has its own civilization, in which it cannot educate another. The European cannot win the Asiatic to his mode of thinking; he cannot give his civilization to the Australian or to the negro. This difference of race has been practically shown since the commencement of time, and is now witnessed in every country of the world, and even among; races which are nearly allied to each other. The masses of the people in India have been in turn subjected by more than six different races, gliding with the English; the Tartars, at this time, rule China; one race in Asia now commands six or eight others; a German tribe in Austria rules the Italian, the Tyrolean, the Bohemian—which is a Tchudic race,—the Selavonians, the Hungarian Magyars and the Hungarian Selavonians; (and it is a remarkable fact that the Magyars and the Selavonians have been inhabiting the same country in almost equal numbers for one thousand years without losing their peculiarities of language, of habits, of