CORRESPONDENCE WITH DR. HOWE. 597 



their respective homes without change ever 

 since their existence has been known to us, 

 even though their number is less than that of 

 our pure black population. The same, also, is 

 the case with the population of AustraHa and 

 of the Pacific isladds. The Papuan race, the 

 Negrillo race, the Australian race proper, dis- 

 tinct from one another, as well as from all 

 other inhabitants of the earth, number each 

 fewer inhabitants than already exist of the 

 negro race in the United States alone, not to 

 speak of Central and South America. 



This being the case there is, it seems to me, 

 no more reason to expect a disappearance of 

 the negro race from the continent of America 

 without violent interference, than to expect a 

 disappearance of the races inhabiting respec- 

 tively the South Sea Islands, Australia, the 

 Cape of Good Hope, or any other part of the 

 globe tenanted by the less populous races. 

 The case of the American Indians, who grad- 

 ually disappear before the white race, should 

 not mislead us, as it is readily accounted for 

 by the peculiar character of that race. The 

 negro exhibits by nature a pliability, a readi- 

 ness to accommodate himself to circumstances, 

 a proneness to imitate those among whom he 

 lives, — characteristics which are entirely for- 



