Chap. XV.] Modern Languages. 327 



not only in his own opinion, but also in the judg- 

 ment of many of his best informed readers, satis- 

 factorily proved that there is but one radical lan- 

 guage among the Indians on the American Conti- 

 nent ; and that the nations of America, and those of 

 Asia, have a common origin *. 



The enemies of Revelation, half a century ago. 



* The following passage from Dr. Barton's work is thought 

 wortliy of being inserted at length : 



'^ The inference from these facts and observations is obvious 

 and interesting: that hitherto we have not discovered more than 

 one radical language in the two Americas j or, in other words, 

 that hitherto we have not discovered in America any two or more 

 languages between which we are incapable of detecting affinities 

 (and those often very striking) either in America or in the old worid. 

 Nothing is more common than for Indian traders, interpreters, or 

 other persons, to assert that such and such languages bear no rela- 

 tion to each other; because, it seems, that the persons speaking 

 them cannot always understand one another. When these very 

 languages, however, are compared, their relations or affinities are 

 found out. It is by such comparisons that I have ascertained tiiat 

 the language of the Delawares is the language of such a great 

 number of tribes in America. It is by such comparisons tliat fu- 

 ture inquirers may discover that in all the vast countries of Ame- 

 rica there is but one language : such inquiries, perhaps, will even 

 prove, or render it highly probable, that all the languages of the 

 earth bear some affinity to each other. I have already discovered 

 some striking affinities between the language of the Yolofs (one 

 of the blackest nations of Africa) and certain American tribes. 

 What a field for investigation does tliis last mentioned circum- 

 stance open ! Whilst philosophers are busied in investigating the 

 influence of climate and food, and other physical agents, in var>'- 

 ing the figure and complexion of mankind, they shoidd not ne- 

 glect inquiries into the resemblances of all languages. The far- 

 ther we push our researches of this kind, tlie more we dwcover 

 the proofs, if not of the absolute derivation of all mankind from 

 one pair, at least of the ancient intercourse of ail the nations of 

 the earth," 



