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DEVOTED TO 1® INTERESTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.
VOL. VII.
lTHENS, GA., SATURDAY FEB 25. 1888.
NO. 18
THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE ON CHAR.
A CTER.
To treat of this comprehensive
theme in its minutest details, would
require more time and space than we
now have at our disposal. We in
tend to examine three classes of
people in this discussion ; but be
fore proceeding further, we doubt
not it would be well to deflue char
acter.
Character is a distinct mark, pro
perty or quality by which one per
son or thing is distinguished from
others ; or as Emerson says, “char
acter is moral order seen through
the medium of an individual na
ture.” In all ages of the world,
each nation has had its own char
acteristic, peculiar to itself, and
distinguishing it from all others.
Each has i'sown code of laws—each
has its own customs and manners
each has its civil and religions med
inclinations,
ligion but indolatry.
Rations—each has its peculiar form
of Government, &c. Besides these
more noticeable marks of distinction
there are others of minor impor
tance, as diversity of dress, diet,
habits, &c.
Now by placing all these together
and closely inspecting them, we are
enabled to form some idea of the
character of the people, both indi
viduaily and collectively. There is
no more potent factor in the fQrma-
tion of character, than climate. It
is climate that controls the temper-
amt nt of a people; and tempera
ment influences character. There
are various other ways in which
climate affects character.
Now first, let us take for an ex
ample, an inhabitant of the Polar
regions. On examination, we find
him to be inhospitable, deceitful,
rough, &c. His character is bad
and corrupt. One of the survivors
of the ill-fated “Greely Expedition,”
relates, in speaking of the Esqui
maux, “that on one occasion, as the
party of explorers approached an
Esquimaux village, a man emerged
from a hut and began to approach
them. At first he pretended to be
delighted at the presence of stran
gers, and invited them to his hut,
which invitation the party accepted.
When they reached the hut, how--
ever, several Esquimaux sprang up
on them, and would have massacred
them unless they had used their
fire arms. This clearly shows a
want of charcter on the part of the
Esquimaux or at least the want of
good eharijffer. This depraved
character m.y not be entirely due
to climatic nfluence ; but we can
safely affirmthat the climate exert
ed great infuence over it. These
people who iihabit these extremely
cold couAtri s, are effectually isola-
lated from the rest of the world.
The while ran cannot introduce his
institution*, because he cannot sur
vive long enough to to do so.
The Esquimaux has no code of
law, but acts according to his own
lie has no form of re-
The sound of
a church hell never echoed in the
icy valleys around his home; the
shrill whistle ot a locomotive would
frighten him almost to death. He
has to devour food as a glutton in
order to preserve his life. Now, all
of thes< things are caused by the
rigor climate. Could, we re a
sonab 1 yt t xpect- to find good cuarac-
ters where such a state of things ex
ists? Perhaps some one will insist
that it is the absence of civilizing in
fluences that, causes the baseness of
character. This is true; but, what
causes the absence of civilizing in
fluences? We can attribute it to
one thing only, and that thing is the
rigor of the climate. Therefore, we
come to the conclusion that too cold
a climate is not favorable to the de
velopment of a good character.
Now, let us for example, take an
inhabitant of a very hot coontry.—
Look at the people of India and
Southern Africa. As a rule, they
are indolent, lazy, &c; A beneficent
lather has, indeed, blessed them.
1 he soil, with very little cultivation,
yields bountiful harvests. Tropical
fruits thrive here, thus furnishing
great supplies of food. The country
is so very hot that a white man can
not survive for any length of time,
and, therefore, these people, like li e
Esquimaux, are isolated. They aie
given to the vilest types of fanati
cism; they have no institutions of a
ivlinini character; they are super-
stanlly deteriorated, and now are | love literature, Horace, Livy, Juve-
tho subjects of another people.— Inal, Sallust, Cicero, Virgil, and
Therefore, we can safely say that an Terence, will never be forgotten,
extremely warm climate is no more They were men of character,
favoi able to the development of good , Greece, at one lime, the most re—
eharacterthan an extremely cold one. fined country in the world, has a fine
Now, as a third and last type, 11 climate. It was here that such men
take the inhabitants of those coun- as Homer, Socrates, Thucydides,
tries whose climate is neither too ! T'hales, and Plato lived. Their
hot nor too cold, but just between 1 works have come down to us, and
these extremes. Our own grand are still regarded as wonderful.
country is of this type. We have
every kind of climate. While the
Thus we see that where good cli
mate exists, good character also ex-
titious^ &c
These people seem to be content
with passing the time in idleness,
and grossly misuse the blessings of
God, by making them subserve vile
ends. Now, all of these evils are
the effects, in a great measure, of
climate. The Egyptians, who in
habit a warm country, have con-
mountains of the West and North ists; and where bad climate exists
are covered with fleecy snow, the j bad character also exists. Every
gardens and groves of the South aie Georgian should thank God for his
verdant and luxuriant. This enables I kindness. We, too, are able to point
every one to suit his taste as to cli to a long list of patriots whose
mate. There is no nation upon the ‘Doom we tell with scarce a sigh,
earth no older than ours, which has For ihey aie Freedom’s now and Fame’s;
produced so many eminent men. It’ Some of the lew, the immortal Dames
is the home of orators who, by their [ That wt ' re not born to die.”
fiery eloquence, have stirred multi- Let us watch our characters, and
tudes to rebellion, or by their im- guard them as sacred. Let us up-
passioned oratory calmed tumult * hold the character of our State and
uous crowds; or puec», Cevernmeat.,
mic verses havedelighted thousands; Hubert Estes.'’
of ministers who, by their persua
sive powers, have caused hosts to
bow at tile foot of the Cross; of
statesmen whose wisdom has aston
ished the world; of warriors who,
by' their valor, devotion, and sacri
fices, have carved their names upon
the temple of fame. What more
could a uation ask than the All wise
God has given America? The clis
mate is one of the greatest blessings,
because, being invigorating, it gives
clearness and brilliancy to the mind,
and activity and buyancy to the!
body. IhHH
climate is the main cause of her > ‘ ntert ' st wa s ma ifested in it that he was
requested to repeat it at the new Opera
House. He lectured Friday afternoon at
SEVERAL LECTURES.
During the past week it has been the
pleasure of the students to listen to sever,
al fine lectures from Dr J. G. Armstrong.
He lectured to a crowded house last Sun
day afternoon at the new Opera House,
and treated the subject of “Religion of
Science,” in such a masterly way that
everyone was convinced of the close rela
tions existing between them. His lecture
j u i ? ^ on Faust was delivered in the Phi-Kappa
We can say that America's ! ba " on Tuesday aflernoon > and so great
™ _ • ... ! intoivst wns ma in it tKot
prosperity
England has a fine climate, and
she can point to great men almost
without number. Fiance owes a
the Phi-Kappa hall on “Elocution.” At
| the conclusion of this lecture he was pre
great portion of her greatness to her ! Sented wilh a Landsome gold-headed cane
climate. The common people of this j by lhe 8tudents of the Universiiy of Geor-
couutry were able to overthrow mon gia ’ HS 11 teslim onial of their esteem. He
archs and forever establish the fact
that the people rule. Men of char
acter, who were wearied of seeing
imbecile Kings manage the affairs
of state, “rose and in one night re
quited the wrongs of centuries.”
Italy, whose capital city was once
“mistress of the world,” has a splen
did climate. The breezes from the
mountains rushed through the cor
ridors of the capitol and fanned the
cheeks of great Senators This
country has produced men whose
fame can never die. So long as men
will shortly return wheD we hope he may
be induced to lecture ou Ctesar or Hamlet.
The Law Class held its usual de
bate last Saturday. The question,
Resolved, That High License is pre
ferable to Prohibition. Debated
affirmatively by Messrs. Curry,Hix-
on, Johnson, B, B., and Racy; and
negatively by Messrs. Hughes, Wal
lis, Eberhardt, Johnson, A. S., Crum-
uey and Lane. Decided in favor of
affirmative by the Vice President,
Mr. W. E. Steed.
