SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 261 



parative intelligence of the white and black races of 

 earth's inhabitants. 



"The same circumstances that are supposed by those 

 who contend for the original identity of the races to have 

 so greatly affected their appearance and physical capaci- 

 ties, could hardly fail to have an equally powerful in- 

 fluence over their mental faculties. 



"This, in fact, is substantially admitted by Dr. Pritch- 

 ard, who has ably contended for their common origin and 

 equality of intellectual faculties. 



"He says: 'The tribes in whose prevalent conforma- 

 tion the negro type is discernible in an exaggerated de- 

 gree, are uniformly in the lowest stage of human society. 

 They are either ferocious savages, or stupid, sensual and 

 indolent. Such are the Papals, Bulloms, and other rude 

 hordes on the coast of Western Guinea, and many tribes 

 near the slave coast and Bight of Benin — countries where 

 the slave trade has been carried on to the greatest extent, 

 and has exercised its usual baneful influence.' " 



And he might have added that the same characteristics 

 were to be found among tribes living far in the interior 

 of the continent, who never had felt the effects of that 

 baleful influence. 



He also says, that wherever we hear of a negro state, 

 the inhabitants of which have attained any considerable 

 degree of improvement in their social condition, we 

 always find that their physical characters deviate con- 

 siderably from the strongly marked or exaggerated type 

 of the negro. 



This is the very point for which I contend, and the 

 facts here exhibited, go far to prove a gradually ascend- 

 ing scale, from a race but one remove above the ourang- 

 outang, up to the highest grade of Caucasian intellect; 

 and that the distinguishing features of the negro race in 

 a strongly marked degree, are uniformly associated with 

 the lowest state of barbarism ; and that, as they advance 

 from this strongly marked type, we find a greater degree 

 of civilization and improvement. 



