Page:An essay on the origin and relative status of the white and colored races of mankind.djvu/36

 race in the world, and have a general civil government, and a somewhat enlightened jurisprudence derived 2300 years ago from their venerated Law-giver and Philosopher, Confucius, alias Kong-Fu-Tse; which is rigidly enforced by severe and cruel punishments. Next in rank to them are the American Indians, with their high cheek bones, and straight black hair, as is indicated by their manufacture of calumets, or steatitic Pipes, Stone Hatchets, Head dresses, Leggins, Mocosins, Reticules and Purses, from tanned deer skins ornamented with beads, &c. Next to the Indian, ranks the brown Malayan, with his bushy hair; and lastly the black man, with his curly wool, who ranks the lowest in his claim to this wonderful and useful faculty; but neither of the colored races have risen to the ability of the white man, in the invention of intricate machinery—such as watches, clocks and steam engines; or of musical instruments—such as the Organ, Piano, &c., or of scientific instruments—such as the Compass, Chronometor, &c. In short, none of them have ever given to the world a Harrison to invent Time pieces—a Guttenburg to invent Types—a Fulton and a Stephenson to apply the power of steam to ships and machinery—a Franklin to draw the lightening from the clouds—a Morse to give to electricity the power of winging thoughts with the speed of lightening—or a Daguerre to invent the camera to paint true imitations of animate and inanimate objects with geometrical exactness. It is said, however, that some years ago a black man, in Baltimore, made an Almanac. If he was of unmixed blood and made it without white assistance, he was a very rare exception, and the only one of his race who ever did; and this exceptional case does not make black men a race of Astronomers.

The wonderful musical talents of "Blind Tom," as a