Show UNWITTING WITNESSES VII rm he stupendous and startling dis 00 veries made in the new world clarida ing the last half century their biety in quality and their complexity with regard to antiquity are subjects of bewilderment and kwoun ous speculation to explorers and ingists the rude and the the mementoes of wealth aad a 0 in close proximity t t t the Ve vestiges of poverty and bar barlum tt sla grand and imposing bonu ts of the remotest antiquity D shadowing ei the mean relies relics of modern productions a complication of knotty Pro bl lenos that baffle scientific minds ana threaten eaten the collapse and aban ent of many cherished theo lri 8 the grand structure of etheo science has some curious principles for its foundation stones one ne of af the broadest is the thesis th ahe the buds and barbarous must blew cultivated and civilized the w elble and book of mormon corroborated by natural developments and scientific discoveries will yet show to the world that the opposite of this pet dogma is the truth nadillac kadillac says no one would dream of comparing the ancient peruvians the most advanced people of south america with the wandering savage and bloodthirsty blood thirsty indians of north america and yet the latter are remnants of the former race afeei after speaking of the numerous skulls discovered in the mounds and burial places of peru and central america having anatomical characteristics of mental superiority this author further remarks I 1 beneath all these mounds human remains are associated with stone implements bones of birds and fish rude pSt tery and necklaces of teeth or little bones all objects attesting a poorly developed culture prehistoric pre historic america Ameri capages pages 3 here is proof that this state of barbarism was not due to organic crudeness or deficiency again we quote one primary conclusion naturally presents itself the american no matter how remote the antiquity to which he maybe may be assigned hardly diners from the men who inhabit the shores of the atlantic and pacific page J soury a french writer says man whether he looks into the past or into the future whether he scrutinizes the side sidereal universe or interrogates the vestiges t ages iges and mutilated documents of th the e history of life on this planet if h he e wishes to start from some settled or assured point if he seeks an immovable foundation a corner stone he will not find it objects of rude or primitive type do not necessarily attest great antiquity ty in many cases the very reverse of this would be the correct conclusion it is known that the indian races have at recent periods appropriated the ancient tombs and mounds of their forefathers and mingled the bodies of their theia friends and the rude accompaniments of their buria burials bu rials with the mummies and relies relics of a former and superior race the men who built the pyramids of egypt and the temples of peru did not make their spear and lance heads of stone wear necklaces of teeth and bits of bone nor burrow in earth holes and rock caves but their degenerate descendants have done so these latter are the modes of it life and works of fallen and degraded races as evidenced by the Esqui maux of greenland and the american indians of the present time they subsist upon the supplies of the chase and for clothing transfer the skin from the back of the slain animal to their own others live li ve upon flah fish and moll mollusks and make their clothing of grass reeds and woody fibre fabre the ground around their dwellings is strewed with festering refuse and lations of filth called shell heaps pl while their families are reared in an atmosphere of noisome odors but these are not signs nor concomitants comi tants of anatomical inferiority nor of antiquity it is known knowd and the proofs are daily multiplying that these races are descended from cultured and highly civilized ancestors ce splendid temples and magnificent ent architecture convenient and serviceable utensils elegant furniture and delicate living with the accompaniments of cleanliness and refinement are symbols and proofs of civilization and these are the results and piro products ducts of composed and peaceful life of cultured designing and skillful labor but these prosperous and felicitous conditions do not belong to modem more than to prehistoric pre historic times one embarrassing problem for ethnologists to wrestle with is why the barbarous races mew of prehistoric pre historic times both in the old world and the new were fauni associated with ruins and mementoes superior to their own abilities and social status the puzzle will continue as long as the effort to reconcile false science with existing facts is continued it is an established fact that in individual cases man has degenerated and become degraded to the condition of a brutish savage during the period of his mortal life how far it is possible for large communities to lapse into barbarism during short periods history furnishes many examples the jews awful and rapid decadence is one but a degenerate state of society is not the normal condition of man nor is it appropriate to the high qualities and demands of his hia nature it Is not a primitive state of man but a fallen state in such a condition the abject human Is utterly helpless all the beginnings of improvement and amelioration must commence with extraneous and superior agencies there are some very curious traditions cherished among the native races of america a few of which we will notice in this place as they are strikingly corroborative of statements contained in the book ot mormon and which have been already brought to the notice of the reader brasseure Brass Braes eurs history of the nations of mexico vol 1 p speaks of a tradition among the anahu acs an ancient mexican race that after the dispersion of the human race immediately succeeding the building ol of the tower of babel seven one of the earliest races of central america reached america and became the parents of a numerous race upon this continent 11 f the tradition concerning these wanderers from the early tribes who built the great tower is a remarkable legendary confirmative of some of the important averments aver ments of the book of mormon especially when taken in connection with the story of jaredy exodus that the mexican legend is inaccurate as to f numbers is rather in favor of than against the sacred narrative as perfect agreement might suggest copying in Aver danos sermons we read the following the peruvians say that a white man with a long floal flowing ng beard visited their forefathers and instructed ted theta them in the arts arta of agriculture and architecture he told them he should live in retreat for two thousand years and then appear on the earth again sermon 9 P in addition to this peruvian tra respecting the visit of this venerable the present indian tribes testify to receiving many similar visits even in the present day and relate traditional stories of others of remote date the book of mormon relates that the Nep hites were an enlightened and during several centuries a god fearing people during this period of religious they were highly favored of the lord who raised up many prophets among them they enjoyed the privilege of seeing visions and receiving the administration of holy angels finally they were blessed with a personal visit of the savior after his resurrection who established his church among them called and ordained twelve apostles just before leaving them he assembled his disciples to impart unto them his last admonitions and benediction and it came to pass when jews jesus had said these words he unto his disciples one by one saying unto them what is it that ye desire of me after that I 1 am ko gone ne to the father and they all ke save it were three we desire at after we have lived to the age f man that our ministry wherein th thou ou hast called us may have an end that we may speedily come unto thee in thy kingdom and he said unto them blessed are ye because ye desired this thing of in me therefore after that ye are seivi seventy and two years old ye shall come unto me in my kingdom and with me ye shall find rest and when he had spoken unto them he be turned himself unto the three and said unto them what will ye that I 1 should do unto you when I 1 am gone unto the father and they sorrowed sor rowed in their hearts for they durst not speak unto him the thing which they desired and he said unto them behold I 1 know your thoughts and ye have desired the thing which john my beloved who was with me in my ministry before that I 1 was lifted up by the jews desired of me therefore more blessed are ye for ye shall never taste of death but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the father unto the children of men even until an all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the father when I 1 shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven and and ye shall never endure the pains of death but when I 1 come in my flory glory ye shall be changed in the winkling twinkling 1 of an eye from mortality to 11 book of mormon page these are the characters who were given power to remain in this sphere blessed with an enduring vitality and who are believed to have from time to time during the rolling centuries paid their visits to their people instructing and counseling them and will doubtless in the near future be a great assistance in ameliorating their fallen condition and restoring them to enlightenment and civilization another writer D Eich FAch tal i alludes to traditions among the american indians relating to convulsions of the earth profound dis tur bances terrible deluges in the midst of which mountains arose and volcanoes belched forth fire and smoke and of numerous cities being overthrown and swallowed up diego de landa a monk and ono one of the first christian missionaries to the indians quoted in prehistoric pre pro historic america pages 8 relates the following legend which he heard from the natives the waters became swollen and there was alpeat a great inundation which reached to toe the tops of the heads of the inhabitants and a thick substance came down from the sky the face of the earth was darkened and a black rain fell upon them and there was waa a great voice above their heads the frightened inhabitants ran about in terror and pushed each other filled with despair they climbed into trees they fled to the rocks and caves but bul the eaves caves fell in before them there is a great deal more of similar import in do de landas reports and the reader who will compare these indian legends with historical data recorded in the book of mormon cannot fail to be impressed with the striking analogy between the substantial facts and the legendary shadows of those facts the eighth chapter of III gives a full history of the tragic and stupendous events referred to and there was also a great and terrible tempest and mere ere was terrible thunder inso insomuch uch that it did shake the whole beards as ais if it was about to divide asunder and there were exceeding sharp such ashad as had never been known in all the land and the city of Zarah emla did take fire and the city of moroni did sink into the depths of the sea and the inhabitants were drowned and the earth was carried up upon the city of Moroni hah that in place of the caty aty thereof there became a great mountain and the highways were broken up and the level roads were spoiled ed and many smooth places became rough and many aay great grea and tand notable cities were sunk and many were burned and many were shook till the buildings thereof bot had fallen to the earth and the inhabitants thereof were slain and the places were left desolate and it came to pass that there was thick darkness upon all the face of the land insomuch that the in habitants thereof who had not fallen could feel the vapor of darkness 11 chapter chanter 9 and it canoe to paw pass that th at 1 there here was bras a voice h among all the inhabitants inh abitante of w th earth upon all the face of thi V land crying wo wo wo unto this people one of the sacred books of the Nep hites contained a considerable part pad of the old testament it consisted of plates of brass obtained by the colonists from one laban and carried with them into the new world it comprised the five books of moses giving an account of the creation of the world and also of adam and eve also a record of the jews from abraham to the commencement of the reign of Zede zedekiah kWa king of judah and the prophecies of many of the prophets book of mormon page 11 the Jared ites also had a record contained upon twenty four plates which comprised an account of the creation the flood and whatsoever things transpired among the children of me men ll 11 to the building of the grest great tower pages 1 these records were necessary saya a nephi to preserve unto our children C 11 n the language of our fathers and also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets which have been delivered unto them by the spirit and power of f god since the world began even down to the present time I 1 ne poi ill 19 20 J H KELSON to be continued 3 |