Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-12-10

Dr0DOFuOW I
lnction suffering in direct ratio with the decreas an
energy Of its proper organ ,., ~
Observation and experience have established these Sc
acts beyond controversy. in the history OF most Ell
mammal tribes and if known law of degeneraey y
Odds good in some species and genera by analogy L
sc are led assume that 1t Is equally true In ali OF ~
he orderi XII. saz = 6
But on looking into the laws governing the COM g
,.ee propagation and development of creatures we .
ind class Of beings below the mammaa, whose or 8
p nzaton is not influenced byt he same general laws
that affect the growth of the higher order of animals
With that class mingling the same provocative eie
ments together through continued succession vi
generations is a sine qua to their complete evo-
lution and a continuation of their perfect species
and genera The m0lusce and crustScea, and es-
peciay the hynenOptera and lepldoptefa, lnciuuiHS
an the varieties of insects. belong to that class
TVhus one part OF creation is Influenced by sueh
laws as insures perpetuity OF their Ieriecl orleN
while another part is influenced by another se' u
laws apparently subVersiye OF the first set govern
every living creature follows after the ways OF us
kind
Take. for example some of the insect tribes,
which are the very same now in llaoitudes Is uhef
have always been far back as we can trace tnei'
their individual and general characteristics are t
very same not having undergone any ue'ii'ieil'
from ningng kindred stock together In liielr Po
pogation through the waste OF ages ~ Is = seei
law of their nature to do so. That whole orner y
DyoluceJ nv brother and sister thfongh couauess
generations without the slightest aberrationor 'e'c
rjoration whatever. The male and 1ehlae SHAW oIn
reared from common partntage, produces /" lt''F
~ In ,ha act of procrcation the male dies when
tho female daDosits her she too, having accom-
nlished tho. great object of her existence pfoPogA
tion) dies also while their oya, like the tabled ne
nix spring into life on the ruins OF tr:l aices'y
and dereope into the full AMI perfect being. h Is Inc
sama case with all the species of the Ispldoptera
whose history has been clearly Defined t,ie WASP
hornet and every species OF bee pursuit. t'ic s'eS
cours.-are pTOpOgated by brother ana sis'et ."I
tlaa
organization of their race The ant and honey pee
are the same perfect creatures IN CONFORMATION anu
habitudes they rs described IN the hfst account
we have OF them. $50, III,
| or in the scale Of creatures among the mamnaila
/ where by few links, you are Introduced % man.
! the summit and perfection OF animal sylneuy' 10
tally different law of propagation comes mo hetloh
| and instead of a continuous succession az parents
as in the lower order preserve identity OF tribe
and individuality of species foreign parent Oh tle
same species becomes necessary 20 perfect the vi
ganizatiOn of the offspring NOW, although thc SV'
erning rules which appertan to the lower
il not i'm accordance with the laws applicable TO the
higher orders OF creatures, yet each, III te great
arrangement of Providence Is obedlent to It's own
! proper and fixed laws, which IN every mulFIuuai
| tribe.s constantly the SAME. -,
| Fxanina al the creatures in existence with which
| our limited knowledge has made as famlllar anu
| regular confederation Of species and orders are
linked together tn Oughout the Whole animal "orlu'
]
connected by appropriate links ascending into the
visible world that succession OF connection cohtll-
ues still rising in the scale of animal existence or
gan after organ is added and super added III the di
fersnt tribes and all connected together by appro
| nriate intermediate genera. Thus an intermediate
race between the fish and the reptile genera between
the quaJruped and reptile, between the qnadruped
and man. Il.
mental laws of propagation development and organ-
cation are first those applicable to preservation OF
the species secondly, those applicable to physical
transmission; aud thlrdly those that are apphcaDie
to transmission Of habtudes.
| Bv the laws to perpeuate the species, an hybrid
of anv two distinct species Is forever debarred from
transmitting with similar hybrid or an oriSiIlli
species his individual peculiarly To an ouSpflhS'
thereby obeying a wise ordinance OF naEare, pre-
venting a blending of races and chaos OF animal
existence The second law is that of transmits
sion of physical conformation already discussed
The third law is the transmission of habitudes.
This is an attribute of nervous agency and upon IL
dapends the energy and Yvacy of the offspring and
is always influenced by the relationship of the orr
ginal stock. Thus a foreign parent by introducing
rs it were the habitudes Of Fauna 81 other regions
and by bringing a variety of elements together, the
vim and activity of the offspring is greatly increased
So also in mngIng wild and domestic animal or AMI
mails of the same species from other regions Oh ulT
earth blending diversity of habitudes, the full AMI
complete organization with perfect manifestation
| of powers and properties is obtained But the re
verse is the case in blending the same stock success
sivey: there no element is thrown mo the com
position of the new being, he Is but repetition an
identity of habitude; counterfeit routine o. reel
ings and sameness of organization intensified by
constant reptihon cOtnues generation after genera
ton until the power Of provocative energy IS lost and
exhausted and stupidity and degeneracy results OF
all the manifestations of power, both OF yenous
and physical character.
These positions to cause and effect may be
questionable but the deplOratle facts of degeneracy
| as set forth. experience has demonstrated 10 be
Int all rRn
after being are engFafed the same stock, annlhi-
lating the agencies necessary to perfection OF con
formation. This theory may be false, but the facts
. , are notorious. Then how much more striking must
he tine fact when YOU ascend 20 the summit of Organl
zltion where man supremacy endowed with yoiu-
mip0us brain. and whose mental supremacy has
made him the monarch of creation anu gwen To MN
dominion over all things?
= Whatever causes cndanger the animal develop
ment in any species of the mammalia Will also en-
danger that of the human race. Blood bred on KIN
dred blood nuses into the succeeding races yItidted
integral composition and diseased CT diminutlye
construction which is equally true in its application
! to mankind and whatever produces a diminished
volume force in an organ a0rldSes Its power then
the deduction follows that as the brain Is an integral
par of the general corpo cal structure and degene-
rates in common with the general system OF parts,
, its functions must be abridged and weakened by
successive repetltiOns OF the causes OF tnat weak
| ness resulting in hideOus defOrmtes and idocy.
Why different set of laws regulate the procrea-
ton of the higher order of animals from these which
regulate the perpetuity of individuality OF the ny
saenoptera and others lower in the scale of being
whv one part of creation is obedent to certain re-
strctiOns and another presenting defiance TO those
restrictions and appearing anomalous Is known only
to Him whose fiat spoke those general laws into eXls-
tence.
Our knowledge is confined to the lamentable fact
that the penalties of a violation of these laws are
made manifest in the awful visitatlons, upon the
fruits of such disobedience, of imbecility ard the
more hdeous curse of mania in its various forms -
| M. Hnf1ht hV
vent the blending of blood with kindred blood
| Go YOU to your asylums OF distress and ponder
over the silent fate OF deaf mutes, and inquire INTO
the history of large proportion OF them 20 You INTO
the receptacles of the blind and investigate all the
Circumstances connected with their dreary pilgrim
age on earth and learn how far a cOngental defect
? of the organ of sight has depended upon conSan-
puined dereneracy. Go to your Insane Hospitals,
those abodes of wretchedness and despair and shud-
der in svmpathlzng anguish for your race, as you
look on the rawlings of whose peculiar organlza-
ton has dethrOned his reason, and made him fiend
in human shape. Go into every grade OF society
and Won encounter beings so deformed that they
a nuisance humanity and drudgery to life Itself
Go into all classes of the community where relatives
have married and mter-married for the purpose OF
: promoting mercenary ends, and contemplate lnlOe-
cilty among the adults and diseases of cOngenital
f character among the youthful Go every wnere-
mingle with your species-and wherever consan-
! guine marriages are promoted, and IoI whaI havoc
of physical symmetry and pertecuon what grleFous
mental alterations and what depravity of all the ell
ements which arc calculated to ennoble and beau
tify!
These are some of the considerations which float
on the great ocean OF similar facts that present
themselves to the philanthropst, invoking HIM to
use all his pOwere and influence to prevent the rum
Gus practice Of such marriages. They address
themselves to the lawmaker, and impOre him to IN
terpose his influence. The wrctched offspring and
victims of such marriages cry aloud to humanity to
frOwn them down, and sympathising nation Is
ready to wall over the taPdy action of legislative
bodies in depressing the custom.
Aye, sir. contemplate nearly all the evils to which
flesh is heir Visit the scenes OF afctlOn ana DIS
tress in their broadcast phase. resulting from marri-
ages of cousins Of the first degree, remember this
is fruitful source, but not the only one Look at
the epilepc he struggles in the tolls OF an appal-
ing malady, originating in deficient organization
of the brain and nervous system transmitted to HIM
= by kindred ancestry and over which he has had
no control Look at the convulsed infant, writing
in unconscious agony, which, originating from the
same cause deranges all the vital forces producing
an alteration of intellect which like the fatal tunic
Hercules sticks to him for life, and from ms era
die to his grave he only Vegetables a demented NUS
ance Look upon all these penalties OF violated law,
and ponder well over 'grefs Forbidden story" as
spoken in the evidences furnished by the untortu-
nate Offsprngs of these Inhailowed marriages from