Franklin County: "'The Missing Link;' or The Negro's Ethnological Status," by G. C. H. Hasskarl, 1898
Summary: Hasskarl, a Lutheran minister in Chambersburg, PA, argues that African Americans are inferior to whites, using scientific, historical, and religious arguments to bolster his claims.
[Begin page 3]
I.
That Bishop Turner of Georgia, and not a few of the leaders of the colored people of the South of to-day should revive the old colonization scheme through the medium of the International Migration Society, after the American Colonization Society which was organized many years ago in the belief that it would be able to solve the negro problem in this country by building up a vast empire in Africa, was doomed to disappointment;--this undertaking of Bishop Turner's surely should furnish food for serious reflection to intelligent men actuated by sincere and philanthropic motives. The Bishop is openly advocating such a course, and joins Mr. Henry M. Stanley in the belief that the civilization of Africa will be largely helped through such a scheme. He has visited Liberia several times, and is of the opinion that "it offers many opportunities for his race were it to exercise the qualities of industry and self-reliance." Note, the Bishop favors the transportation of the Negro of [begin page 4] America to Liberia, a country of which Liberian Minister to London is reported to have written thus:
"The conditions in Liberia, according to him, are unusually hard even for men of the physical and mental temperament of the Southern negro, and he looks upon them as more trying than are those in our own country. Besides this, he argues that even if his people should colonize Liberia and other territory and successfully develop its resources, the white man would be sure to follow, reap the reward of the toil of others; obtain the supremacy and create the very conditions that hamper the development of the negro in the South."
Accordingly, it does not look as if this puzzling problem would as yet be solved; in fact, we seriously question whether it ever can be, not only because "the white man would be sure to obtain supremacy, etc.; but also because the negro naturally is wanting in "the qualities of industry and self-reliance"; and therefore our interrogatory.
What of the negro whose presence has ever been "one of the most difficult problems of ethnology?" "His physiognomy is so strongly distinctive, that is anywhere on earth a radical difference in the stocks of mankind can be established, it should be here." "The woolly hair, projecting muzzle, flattened nose, round eyes and prominent cheek bones, these mark him off from all other [begin page 5] races." Equally as distinctive is "the religion of the negro which consists in a dread of evil beings, whom he seeks to propitiate by sacrifices and charms, and under whose influence he supposes himself continually to dwell. He is somewhat slow and dull in mind," and in consequence has the sense faculties of observation developed to an extraordinary degree, is given to mimicry; "but quick in emotion" because of his many superstitions, "naturally imaginative, susceptible and religious." Truly, "the negro is an original variety"!-and we here in all seriousness appeal to learned ethnologists and Biblical scholars, to acknowledged men of letters, earnestly applying themselves to make a special study of this "the negro problem," and then to kindly furnish the missionary would in particular with their investigations; and also, at the same time to state, whether in their candid opinion whatever progress the negro has made in the past, is to be attributed to the effects of civilization which is the sequence of human efforts and the ideal of education, or to the work of Christianity-which is active faith in the service of and with God and baptized humanity, or of Christianity and civilization contemporary. For, according to our understanding of the Scriptures which are the only "infallible rule of faith and practice," and ethnologico-historical data, the negro is neither the [begin page 6] progeny of Adam and Eve, nor a descendant of Ham, the youngest son of Noah.
"The divisions into which writers on ethnology separate the human race are mainly three: the Black, the Brown and the Fair.-- --Ethnologists agree for the most part in the grouping of races, but differ only in their pedigree and relation." "In a general way it is often said that Europe represents the posterity of Japheth, Asia of Shem, and Africa of Ham." The Fair race and the Brown have long, straight hair, high foreheads, high noses, thin lips, and white skins; whereas, the negro or Black race are woolly or kinky-headed, have low foreheads, flat noses, thick lips, and a black skin. Since it is with the Black race specially that we purpose here to deal, the above description of the races of mankind will prove explicit enough for an impartial and impassionate discussion of their respective stations which they occupy, and the relations which they sustain to each other, particularly, in God's order of creation, and which is as follows: 1. Birds, 2. Fowls, 3. Cattle, 4. Creeping things, 5. Beasts, 6. Adam and Eve. [begin page 7]
II.
In the examination of the subject involved in the caption of this article, let us here notice a few of the prevailing errors which somehow have gained strength and are held by many Christians the world over; namely, that First, Ham's name which in Hebrew means "sunburnt," "swarthy," "black," and Secondly, the curse denounced against him "a servant of servants shall be he unto his brethren"-that is was this curse pronounced upon Ham, that did change him, so that instead of being long, straight haired with a high forehead, high nose, thin lips, and fair as he then was, and like his brothers Japheth and Shem, he was from that day forth, to be kink-headed, low foreheaded, thick lipped and black skinned;--all these remarkable transformations are generally believed to have been effected in Ham, because of his name and in consequence of this curse.
But, is not this one instance and illustration of only too many other erroneous teachings which have been handed down and promulgated as scriptural and true, particularly of biblical doctrines claimed to be according to the Scriptures by the Scriptures, that are in their forced connection and spiritual application simply false, unscriptural and historically untrue. For, the Scrip[begin page 8]tures here nowhere state, that such a curse, or any curse whatever, was pronounced against Ham by his father Noah; but that this curse, with whatever it carried with it, was hurled at Canaan, the youngest son of Ham. Gen. IX:25. Again, if no curses ever have changed a white man into a black man, whether pronounced by either God, or by patriarchs, or by prophets or by apostles, then we naturally inquire to know on what principle of interpretation of the Scriptures and of history, the presence of the Negro race is to be accounted for. That he was not one of Noah's family, and yet must have been in the ark, and have entered the same in some capacity or relation to the cattle or other beasts is evident. For, that he did enter the ark when the whole globe deluged and all of mankind excepting Noah and his family and the animals in the ark were destroyed, is evident from the fact that he is now here, and yet not of the family or progeny of Ham. Again "No one has ever suspicioned[sic] either Shorn or Japheth or being the father of the negro; and therefore, he must have come out of the ark, and he could not come out unless he had previously entered it; and if he entered it, that he must have existed before the flood, and that, too, just such a negro as we have now, and consequently not as a descendant of Adam and Eve; and if not the progeny [begin page 9] of Adam and Eve, that he is inevitably a beast, and as such, entered the ark, though having the form of man, and man he is, being so named by Adam. Such is the logic, and such are the conclusions to which their premises lead, if legitimately carried out and by which it is plainly seen that the position assumed by the learned of the present and past ages--that the present race of negroes are the descendants of Ham, and were made so by the name, or by the curse of his father--is false in fact, and but an unwarranted assumption at best." But while this conclusion is inevitable, it also reveals to us another sad fact, that the good white men of our race, though learned and philanthropic, exhibit a weakness, alas! too common in this our day, that anything they wish to believe or think will be popular, that it is very easy to convert the greatest improbabilities into the best grounds of faith. [end page 9]
[begin page 173]
But, what of our Nation and government, the United States? A government acknowledged by all Nations, to be the most cosmoplastic of the Nations of to-day. Who, under God's providence, organized and established it and its "Reformation" principles? Let us appeal to history;--substituting for a "servant," the "slave." "The first attact[sic] on British power, and the [begin page 174] aggressions of its parliament, ever made on this continent was made by a slaveholder, from a slave state, Patrick Henry, May 30, 1765. The first president of the first congress, that ever assembled on this continent, to consider the affairs of the thirteen colonies, and which met in Philadelphia, September 5, 1774, was a slave owner from a slave state, Charles Thompson. The gentleman who was chairman of the committee of the whole on Saturday, the 8th of June 1776, and who, on the morning of the 10th reported the resolutions, that the thirteen colonies, of right ought to be free and independent states, was a slaveholder from a slave state, Benjamin Harrison. The same gentleman again, as chairman of the committee of the whole, reported the Declaration of Independence in form; and to which he affixed his signature, on Thursday, July 4, 1776. The gentleman who wrote the Declaration of Independence was a slave owner, from a slave state, Thomas Jefferson. The gentleman who was selected to lead their armies, as commander in-chief, and who did lead them successfully, to victory and the independence of the country, was a slave owner, from a slave state, George Washington. The gentleman who was president of the con[begin page 175]vention to form the constitution of the United States, was a slaveholder, from a slave state, George Washington. The gentleman who wrote the constitution of the United States (making it the best government ever formed on earth), was a slave owner, from a slave state, James Madison. The first president of the United States, under that constitution, and who, under God, give it strength, consistency and power before the world, was a slave owner, from a slave state, George Washington; and these were all white men and slave owners; and whatever of peace, prosperity, happiness and glory, the people of the United States have enjoyed under it, have been from the administration of the government by presidents elected by the people of slave holders, from slave states. When ever the people have elected a president from a non-slaveholding State, commencing with the elder Adams, and down to Mr. Lincoln, confusion, wrangling and strife have been the order of the day until it culminated in the greatest civil war the world has ever beheld, under the last named gentleman."--Why all this has been so is not in the line of our subject. Only this: God will not be mocked. He ordained that the Negro should be the "servant of servants" solely. Thus, [begin page 176] any critic desirous of controverting successfully the central truth of his booklet, let him "drink deep,"--"largely" from the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures first.--To believe less than what is contained in the Scriptures, is infidelity; and to believe more than what is contained in the Scriptures, is superstition.
"Truth, though sometimes slow in its power, is like itself, always consistent; and like its AUTHOR, will always be triumphant. The Bible is true."
FINIS.
Bibliographic Information: Source copy consulted: G. C. H. Hasskarl, "'The Missing Link;' or The Negro's Ethnological Status (Chambersburg, PA: Democratic News, 1898), pp. 3-9, 173-76
