HUMAN RACE.
When we regard the different quarters of the globe,—the distinct and permanent features of national character that stamp races of men as races, we are immediately struck with the great mental and natural dissimilarity of these varieties of the human race.—The Briton bowing in worship to the one true and ever living God,—the wild Indian revelling in the uncontrolled sublimities of a wild and unconquered waste,—the Brahmin, prostrate at the blood stained relics of human sacrifice, or the ignorant African, worshipping the carved effigy of some mis-shapen and hideous monster;—each present characters which indicate some strongly marked feature of individual and national constitution. The millions that dwell around the Ganges have a national and characteristic feature in their mental constitution, and this distinguishing mark is as decidedly evident in the form of the brain as it is in the customs of the people,—the same remark applies to all other races;—the European who has long dwelt in a high state of civilization, and mental culture,—The Asiatic, whose ancient customs, moderns vainly seek to improve,—The American, in his native forest, surrounded by civilization, remains even yet in the state of rude and ancient barbarism.—These differences of national character, must have a great influence upon the individual: the unvarying customs produce a sameness in the organization—the people as a whole are intellectual, ignorant, or barbarian.
These national differences have been attributed to the influence of soil and climate:—but although these exercise some influence, they are inadequate to explain the whole—climate would materially affect the customs of the people, and these customs would influence the organization of those parts of the brain influenced by the operations of the mind in procuring animal comforts,—the developement of constructiveness is greatly affected by the cause. But when we remember how certainly the same causes produce the same results throughout the works of nature, we are often unable to explain much of this influence, the Europeans and native Indians have lived for centuries under the influence of the same physical causes—the one has progressed like their brethren of the old continent,—the other remains stationary in savage and uncivilized wildness.
Religious and political institutions again, have been brought forward as the causes of these differences; but this is a superficial view of the matter, because it will be granted that all our institutions have been framed as the minds of man require them, not anteriorly: and when we except institutions like that of christianity, the direct gift of God himself, from what cause do we consider human institutions to emanate except from the minds of those who legislate for the wants of a people, or who impose institutions upon them by right of arbitrary power.
That national character accords with Phrenological rules, is true as far as we have opportunities of judging; but at present our collections of national skulls are not sufficiently extensive to draw any very remarkable conclusions; the most prejudiced observer cannot fail to remark the great difference among the skulls of different people—thus, the ancient Greek with Ideality and Constructiveness large, when opposed to the deficient skull of the New Hollander, shews as striking a contrast, as the hovels of the one, do to the architectural remains of the other.[1]
To estimate national peculiarities properly, travellers competent to examine heads, and classify temperaments are much wanted: the size of individual organs and their combinations are also required: the skulls that we possess shew that the brain is in exact agreement with the characters given to their various people by travellers of observation and experience.—The subjugation of a free people to a foreign yoke,—the introduction of new customs by conquerors,—the revolutions of states and empires, and the intercourse of nations, with many other matters to be gathered from the history of the world, all aid in assisting us to determine national character and from this to deduce the natural tendencies of individuals.
MENTAL FACULTIES.
DIVISION I. FEELINGS AND PROPENSITIES.