XXI. of her national species, on the shores of North Ame- LETTER rica. Thus the Ocean was made the peculiar means in the hands of Providence of keeping away, from both Eastern Asia and the Americas, those nations whom it did not chuse to plant there, or to have frequent intercourse with them; and of leading over it to them, such as it was its will and suited its designs to have the dealings and settlements, from which others were withheld. At present, the British nations have been raised to the colonial and governmental ascendency in India, Australia, Polynesia, South and West Africa, and in the eastern frontiers of North America; while the populations of the Spanish race, are permitted to occupy and retain the South American continent; every one moved as the Great Director meant and led, and all fulfilling His wise and prospective purposes, and advancing His grand ulterior ends. XXII. LETTER XXII. INTENDED SEPARATION OF MANKIND INTO DISTINCT NATIONS APPOINTED COUNTRIES LOCAL GEOGRAPHY. MY DEAR SON, LETTER THE state of the human race, from the time that any notices of its transactions appear, has never been that of one united community or empire. They have always appeared divided into many insulated populations, living apart from each other, and remaining in distinct and separate tribes or nations; most of them unknown to the other, and usually hostile to each other, or ever ready to be so, from alarm, suspicion or provocation. This is the historical fact, and from its occurrence and continuation, we can have no difficulty in marking it as a part of the Divine plan as to human nature, that mankind should be thus divided; should multiply in separated populations; should rarely unite and amalgamate; and that, by this arrangement, each should grow up into those peculiar species and modifications of moral and intellectual being, which they severally display; and that the maintenance of their distinguishing particularities, should be assisted by their mutual fears, jealousies or dislikes. What the actual events thus exhibit in certainty to us, the Mosaic history accounts for; presents the origin of it to our view, and ascribes it to the same cause to which our reason refers it-the Divine determination. It was the special will and appoint XXII. ment of God, that such should be the state of human- LETTER kind after the Deluge; and it is noted to have begun about a century after the subsiding of the watery agitations. That such a partition would not at first have been chosen by the subsisting population, but would be resisted by it, we may from our own feelings assume. Like our sheep and cattle, and many other classes of birds, fish and quadrupeds, and even insects, Man is an aggregating creature. Before savage habits and evil passions disunite us into mistrust or hostility, our race loves and seeks to associate together. The natural feelings, by invisible tendrils, entwine and attach us into social union; fear as well as mutual sympathy inclines us to it; and the affinity which the renewed population, as springing from one patriarch, had with each other, would concur with the moral sensibilities of their nature, to produce and perpetuate this effect, which at last cements all into such national cohesions and similarities, that only external violence has been found of sufficient power, when once formed, to dissolve them. This sentimental tendency must have been strongly augmented, by the political considerations of those, who were born into human life after the Deluge. Awe, and fear, and wonder, and long-continuing alarm would be in every bosom, for a considerable time after the catastrophe, which could not but be, for many generations, the predominant subject of their thoughts and conversation. They would feel more safe from calamity by congregating together. They would dread new and unknown regions. They would be afraid to separate, lest disaster should attend them. They would hardly know where to be LETTER safe; and therefore the historical fact which the XXII. Hebrew Genesis announces to us is quite natural, that they should resolve to live together as one people, and should found a city for their residence and social aggregation, that they might not separate. It is equally probable that, in order to protect themselves 'from a recurrence of overwhelming waters, they should think of forming lofty edifices, in whose upper portions they might find a refuge, against such inundations, as might rush upon the level plains.' The level of fifteen cubits might have seemed surmountable by human ingenuity. But this determination to adhere together as one nation, and to become distinguished by remaining such, and thereby becoming in time a multitudinous and mighty population, was in direct opposition to the design of their Creator, in that part of the plan of human nature, which was now to be carried into execution. This required that mankind should not grow up into one dense population, or be massed and confined into one vast empire, living in a few overcrowded cities, and thereby occupying a very small portion of the earth. It was not suited to the improvement of human nature, that one uniform system of habits and manners and pursuits, should pervade all the human race. It was not for the advantage of mankind, that there should be only a Chinese form of human nature in the world. It was, therefore, the settled determination of the Creator, that as soon as the renewed population became numerous enough to be divided, they should be disparted and moved into distinct and separated portions, which should be 1 Gen. xi. 3, 4. XXII. scattered and placed at a distance from each other, LETTER and in these different locations, should gradually be formed into many varieties of mind, manners and occupations, and be kept aloof from each other until these diversities were secured and established; and afterwards should only have that sort of intercourse and relations with each other, as the appointed economy of human affairs should make expedient, for the accomplishment of the purposes of the Divine government. The united population resisted this intention, and pursued their own schemes to prevent the ordained division and dislocation; and nothing less than a superhuman interposition could have effectuated the separation. But when this was resolved upon, the mode chosen for realizing the Divine purpose was one of simple, sagacious and irresistible operation. Nothing unites associating mankind more naturally and more cordially, than a similarity of language. It creates a social relationship wherever it exists; and the new race had continued, after the Deluge, with this interesting and effective band of intellectual kinship. It was therefore to this that the Divine agency was directed. This mental chain of social alliance was broken up. A supernatural operation on their vocal organs and memorial associations, separating the sounds of their utterance from their sensorial ideas, so far as to confound this connection, and to make certain portions unintelligible to the other, was put into action. The confusing effect 6 3 2 And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech;' or as the Hebrew literally is, of one lip and of the same words.' Gen. xi. 1. 3 Let us go down and confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech,' Gen. xi. 7, |