90 ARCHEOLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES. 



tliate reference to the conclusions of Morton and Agassiz, appeared in that year. 1 

 They both emanated from Charleston, South Carolina, a city which has been dis- 

 tinguished for the attention given to natural science by its literary men, and in 

 some branches (that of herpetology, for example), has taken the lead in this 

 country. Dr. Bachman's argument is based, to a great extent, upon his personal 

 observations and researches as a naturalist; whilst that of Dr. Smyth is chiefly 

 historical and theological. Neither of them alludes, except incidentally, to the 

 origin of American population, and they do not profess to have given special atten- 

 tion to that inquiry. 



Dr. Bachman, however, places his private observations in opposition to Dr. 

 Morton's belief of a physical diversity between the Americans and the Mongolians. 

 He says : " The early writers on the history of the aboriginal races of America, 

 were of opinion that these people descended from the Mongols on the north of the 

 eastern continent, and others that they originated from the Malays of the Indian 

 Archipelago. The writings of Dr. Morton, however, appear to have silenced, for a 

 time, the advocates of the old theory. *** The opinions of an intelligent naturalist, 

 possessing so many materials to direct his judgment, are entitled to much weight 

 on a subject with which he has long been familiar. We readily admit that in this 

 he possesses superior claims on public confidence, and it would, therefore, appear 

 presumptuous in us to express a contrary opinion. We regard this, however, as 

 still an open question; and, as all men are entitled to an honest expression of their 

 views, so long as they are not injurious to public or private interests, we will pro- 

 ceed without entering into a discussion which, if fully treated, would occupy a 

 volume, to express the grounds of our conviction, that when this whole subject is 

 more fully investigated, it will }^et be discovered that the original theory, which at 

 present seems to have few advocates, will, notwithstanding the many erroneous 

 speculations on which it was founded, prove to a considerable extent correct. Nor 

 do we express this opinion hastily, or without due deliberation founded on personal 

 and minute examinations. Opportunities have been afforded us of seeing many 

 individuals in every Indian tribe that existed within the last forty years, in all our 

 Atlantic States, from the Canadas to South Florida. We have never had an oppor- 

 tunity of seeing the Eskimaux, and possess no further knowledge of that race than 

 from the skulls and the many portraits with which the public is familiar; we have 

 not visited Florida, and our only knowledge of those tribes is derived from an 

 examination of the prisoners brought to Sullivan's Island during the late Florida 

 war ; but with all the intermediate Atlantic tribes we became acquainted, studied 

 their forms, features, and habits of life, and at one period spent three months in 

 their villages. On the eastern continent we possessed opportunities of examining 

 several individuals from all but one of the families regarded by Professor Morton 



1 The Doctrine of the Unity of the Human Race, examined on the Principles of Science. By John 

 Bachman, D.D., Charleston, S. C. 1S50. 



The Unity of the Human Baccs proved to be the doctriuc of Scripture, Reason, and Science, 

 with a review of the present position and theory of Professor Agassiz. By the Rev. Thomas Smyth, 

 D.D. New York, 1850. 



