RACE AND LANGUAGE. 347 



a common origin, and must have been for a consideraLle time isolated 

 from all other tribes. During this long period of early isolation, not 

 only was a language formed distinct in vocabulary and grammar from 

 all others, but a peculiar mental and moral character was developed. 

 Each stock had also its special religion, a fact, in America, now recog- 

 nized by the most experienced observers. Of course, there has been a 

 great mixture of religions, as there has been a great mixture of lan- 

 guages. Most of the Aryan nations, outside of Hindostan, have adopted 

 some form of the Semitic religion ; and most of the Dravidian tribes 

 in the south of India have adopted an Aryan religion ; but these 

 changes do not prevent us from recognizing the fact that the Aryan, 

 Semitic, and Dravidian religions were originally distinct. 



Language, character, and religion do not alone distinguish an origi- 

 nal stock. While these characteristics were forming, others not less 

 important were developed. In each stock there was a peculiar social 

 organization, suited to the character and circumstances of the people. 

 Each stock had its own frame of society and government, its own 

 modes of life, and its own industrial and decorative arts. It will, of 

 course, be understood that along with the differences arising from this 

 separate origin there would be resemblances, springing from similarity 

 of circumstances and from the common principles of the human char- 

 acter and intellect. This truth has been well expressed by Professor 

 Putnam, in his recent essay on " Conventionalism in Ancient American 

 Art." " There is now," he remarks, " sufficient evidence to show that 

 the artistic powers of man, like the languages, were developed in dis- 

 tinct centers, from primitive forms of expression, which had necessa- 

 rily principles in common." AYe know, also, that arts and institutions 

 are much more readily adopted from other communities than lan- 

 guages ; but skilled and scientific observers, like Putnam, Brinton, 

 Mason, Gushing, Dall, Boas, and the many other able investigators 

 who, on our continent, are now engaged in this research, will usually 

 be able to detect these transferences, and to trace back each invention 

 to its peculiar center. 



The assertion which is often made, that language is more variable 

 than physical traits, does not stand the test of facts. Language varies 

 little, if at all, through the influences of climate, while physical char- 

 acteristics — color, hair, stature, and the like — vary widely and rapidly 

 from this cause. The Aryan languages, from Hindostan to Iceland, 

 are radically the same ; but the physical differences in the people who 

 speak them are very great. It may be said that these differences are 

 due to minglings with other races, which to a certain extent is doubt- 

 less true ; but the striking and significant fact remains that the com- 

 plexion varies throughout very closely in accordance with the climate. 

 The physical differences among the widely-scattered tribes of the Ma- 

 layo-Polynesian family, from Madagascar to Hawaii, are far more 

 strongly marked than the differences in their dialects. In Africa, the 



