The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-03-10
Lectures.


Ey On Friday night last, Dr.. q. B.
PARSONS delivered lecture before the
Lyceum, in reply to the positions taken
by the Rev. J. M. BoGGs, relative to the
doctrine Of the Unity of the Human
race. IN opening, the lecturer disclaim-
ed any motives disrespectful TO Mr.. Boaes,
whom, as gentleman, scholar, and a
personal friend, he held in high estma-
ton. He simply took up the negative of
the subject in order to sustain an honest
difference Of opinion. The lecturer then
re.s!ated Mr.. BoGGs' deductions and ar
guments in favor Of the unity of the race,
and said, that while he admitted all Of
Mr.. BIS premises. he objected to his
conclusions. He commended, in opposi
ton to Mr.. B., that because Nature was
incomplete without Man, that that fact
did not show the necessity of power
outside of Nature to produce hint did
not show that nature was incompetent to
perfect itself. Man is part of the nat
ural series, and, he thought, had no spe
cial Importance therein, inasmuch as the
withdrawal of any other member would
render it as incomplete as would the alb
sence Of Man. But even admitting that
nature was incompetent to produce Man,
and that the interference of some other
power was necessary, it did not follow,
therefore, that but a single pair was Gre
ated. He contended, and quoted Linna-
us, Button, Monboddo, Helvetius, Oar
win, &c, as authority, that the specific
differences Of the races were so great as
to preclude the possibility of their hav-
ing common origin, or that the differ
ences should be wholly owing to climate,
food, habits, DC. He thought the fact
of human remains being found all over
the world, in strata formed at the same
period, showed that the human race ex
listed in all parts as soon as in one part,
rendering it improbable that the races
resulted from single pair. He also said,
that monumental records, acknowledged
to be SIX thousand years old, have been
obtained from the east, showing a multi
plication and civilization of races that it
was impossible to produce in the short
period between the Mosaic date of the
creation of Man and the date of the mon
uments. He also traced the analogy be-
tween the various forms Of organized life,
and drew an argument from the relation
with the Vegetable and Animal king
doms. The lecturer went largely into
the domains of Zoology and Physiology,
in the discussion, and attacked PRrTcH
ARDS theory Of accidental varieties, and
likewise Mr.. DoGG's argument of innate
perceptions.
Whatever we may think of the lectur-
er's doctrines, we cannot help giving him
credit for bluntness, candor, and indie
pendence, in the expression of them.
The eighth lecture of the Indepen-
dence Course was delivered on Saturday
evening last, by Mr.. J. G. DIMlck, to a
very good audience. both of ladies and
gentlemen. The lecturers subject was
THEOLOGICAL EVIDENCES, AND THEIR
TRANSITIONS, and there was an eloquence
in his language, and a depth to his .rea-
would have gained him great deal of
sclat. We think this much credit is just
ly due him, and that we can accord it
without, in any sense, subscribing to his
doctrines.
The next lecture of the course will be
given on next Saturday evening, by Mr..
ALFRED INGALLS,. Subject-DEIsM VS..
CHRISTIANITY