For the SARATOGA SENTINEL.

ANSWER TO A REVIEW OF SMITH ON THE HEBREWS

(CONCLUDED.)

I now pass to notice the objections.—This the reviewer pronounces a "far easier task." I cannot say it is a "far easier task" to refute them, than what has preceded; though it is deemed sufficiently easy.

The first objection is the infancy of the Indians in the mechanical arts. The objection rests on the idea that a nation having once possessed the knowledge of those arts, would never lose it. And Israel, having once possessed something of this knowledge, must by this time, if in existence, have made some improvements in those arts.

. . .

It is attempted to be shown in the View from the prophecies, that ISrael, as such, are to come to light in these last days.—Hence they must now have an existence. But they are not known in the civilized world. Hence they must be in an uncivilized state. And thus they are represented to be "out cast," lost from the civilized world, as lsrael, for a long period. Has the reviewer shown the incorrectness of this reasoning.

. . .

Can the reviewer give as good an account, how it came to pass, that the wild, distant Scythians, in the barbarous regions of the northeast, should come, in ancient times, to be so intimately acquainted with the Hebrew theology, as well as much of their language; that they should embrace, and be so delighted with those sacred rites, as to incorporate them with their own mythology; and should be led to transmit them with so much care, and miraculous effect, as to fill the vast regions of North and South America with them for several thousand years? When we consider how vastly ignorant and barbarous were all the hordes of the nations of the north, and northeast, during the ages of the commonwealth of Israel, and down to the time when they poured their floods of ignorant barbarians into the Roman empire, in the fourth century; and consider that there was no manner of communication between them and ancient lsrael in Canaan: and had there been, the religion of God was not so pleasing to the feeling of fallen man, as that savage nations would so readily imbibe it;—the confident sentiment that all the Hebrew characteristics found with the American Indians are readily to be accounted for from Scythian tradition, presents such a tissue of ancient credulity and error, as it is hoped will not be attempted by any one to be again maintained!