Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1857-09-01
For the Tribune
Definition of Species - Plurality o!
Mankind.

species. MANY men eminent IN various
departments OF that science have offered
definitions TO the term "specles; but
when taken from the several branches In
which their propounders have been emf
nent, and extended over the whole range
of natural history, nearly ell of them have
failed to answer the requirements of
definition; and unless definition can be
thus extended, it is comparatively useless,
at least defective.
Such having been the result with most
of the proposed definitions of species, let
US enquire a little into the causes of those
failures, before presenting a definition
that covers or seems to cover the whole
matter in question.
The commonly received opinion of nat
uraliSts only few years back-as of
Linneus, Button, DeCondolle and others
amounted TO this: organized beings are
not 10 be considered of different species,
if it be granted or supposed that they
have probably or possibly descended from
the same primitive stock. Ii will be per-
ceived, however, that this or any analo-
gous definition is virtually & begging the
question In some of It's bearings.
For instance, in reference to man: if
ii be conceded, under the definition, thai
the whites, the blacks, the Mongoians,
the Malays, Sc, all belong to the class
man i as who can deny it?-then all
men, being organized beings which may
not only be assumed TO have originated in
single pair, but are thus actually claim
ed by the mass of writer's, are necessari-
ly of one species. Now, whether the
conclusion be true or false in point of fact,
the burden Of proof is thrown on those
who deny It's validity, SO that the delini-
uon IS an obvious begging Of the question,
and therefore inadmissibe. 1t makes
specific identity or difference depend upon
the genetic succession, the very point of
issue.
Besides, there are large classes Of ami
mails III which the larger number of the
individuals do not originate in eggs; and
therefore any definition of species into
which the subject of generation is intro
duced, is on that account Objectionable
The definition offered by the late DR..
Morton, who has reputation coextensive
with modern science, and who was the
founder of the modern school of Ethnolo-
gy, (the "American doubt" as il has been
recently called in your paper) is now ac-
cepted by the most eminent naturalists of
the day, headed by no less man than
AgassIz. Morton characterizes species
as primordial organic forms This def
milton very properly throws genetic sue
cesslon out of the question; because, as
already stated, to make specific identity
or difference depend upon such assumed
succession, is taking for granted what in
reality Is under discussion, begging of
the question.
As to the unity of the human race, it
seems TO have been taken for granted by
naturalIsts up to very recent date now
as an axiom needing no proof than a set
tied scientific truth resting on observation
and induction. The early writer's in the
natural history of man took no pains to
prove that all mankind originated in q
single pair; for that was a prejudice that
everybody imblbed in their childhood, and
nobody asserted a contrary doctrine.-
They went to work to show how the great
dIversitles observable ia iaan could be
most satisfactorily explained, and assum-
ing that all the human inhabitants of this
globe are of one species, they attempted to
account for their various and we'll known
distinguishing pecullarities, by again as
Stunning that the races called Caucasian.
Monaghan, Malay, sc, Sc, are vARI-
ET.Es merely of the one species, man;
and also, that variety is any special de-
Walton from the typical form of the spe-
cles, which, havi. G once occurred, IS ca
pable Of perpetuating itself and its pecu-
Harities independently Of the parent stock
overlooking entirely the fact, that all true
varieties have constant tendency to re-
vert to the typical form of the original
stock. They assumed, further, that food,
clothing, climate, modes of living and
habits of life, in short, that physical causes
by long duration are adequate to change
the Anglo-Saxon race into the African.
and VICE VERSA
Notwithstanding many writer's of abili-
iy have written on the side of the unity of
the human race, Blumenback and Prich-
ard stand pre-eminent as the champions
OF that doctrine. The former NAV be
may be SAID to have broken the ground,
while Of the latter it may be said that be
gathered the harvest and exhausted the