And that as fully answers another charge, viz., that of publishing views of our correspondents with which we often do not concur ourselves. In other words, as we understand it, we are accused of neglecting scientific induction. Our critics may be right, but we also are not altogether wrong. In the face of the many crucial and strictly scientific experiments made by our most eminent savants , it would take a wiser sage than King Solomon himself to decide now between fact and fiction. But science has neither said her last word nor can her various branches of knowledge rejoice in their qualification of exact but so long as the hypotheses of yesterday are not upset by the discoveries of to-day.
Science is atheistic, phantasmagorical, and always in labour with conjecture.
It can never become knowledge per se . Moreover, the learned representatives of the Royal Society have as many cherished hobbies, and are as little free of prejudice and preconception as any other mortals. We are afraid in one and all it is but Faith, fanatic faith, once wedded fast To some dear falsehood, hugs it to the last . . . And that is all we can do. Having said so much, we have made clear, we hope, the reason why, believing no mortal man infallible, nor claiming that privilege for ourselves, we open our columns to the discussion of every view and opinion, provided it is not proved absolutely supernatural.