The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-01


The large hall of Cooper Institute, New York,
was crowded last Tuesday evening with
highly intelligent and respectable audience of
ladies and gentlemen, on the occasion of Pro-
fessor Louis Agassiz's last lecture under the
auspices of the Association for the Advance
ment of Science and Art" having successfully
unfolded in a popular form the treasures of
knowledge which he had acquired of the ANA.
zon river and the region over which It ira
verses, obtained by his recent extended survey
of that portion of the American continent. so
far as refers to the confguration of that i'm
mense water basin or inland ocean, its glacial
traces, geological structure, land and aquatic
animals, and the wealth and variety of
its rich tropical vegetation. His lee
ture last evening had reference to the
monkeys of South America and to its native
inhabitants, so far as they differ in habits, an.
pearance, and chronological conformation from
the people OF other portions of the American
continent. On the subject of the monkeys of
Brazil and the region of the Amazon, the OBJ
servations of Professor Agassiz were faithful to
nature, andiso pointed by an advanced scienti-
fc knowledge as to be entertaining and instruc-
tive and highly interesting. At little before
O'Clock the lecturer was introduced by Dr.
Griscom, and proceeded to discuss the subject
OF his discourse, 'The Monkeys and the Native
Inhabitants of South America" " as follows:-
THE RELATIONS BETWEEN MONKEYS AND MANKIND.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:-In an unguarded
moment l proposed for this evenings lecture
the subject which has been announced unon
the tickets. If 1 had considered the matter
more maturely, i would probably have abstained
from bringing into such public notice subject
SO tul OF dlthculties, respecting which, after all,
so little is known, and with reference to which
there are such extreme views entertained by
the most competent Investigators. As it is |
have nothing left but candidly to express my
CONVICTIONS without reticence, and, il / eau,
without prepossession. OF course you do not
expect that shall present to you anecdotes
concerning the monkeys which [ have seen
playing among the trees In the valley of the
Amazon, nor contrast with them the habits of
the native inhabitants; but that shall take
broader view of the subject, and discuss before
you the relations which exist between the mon.
keys and mankind. This subject tor the last
ten years has engaged the direct attention of
all naturalists, and with reference to which all
the Investigations made within the Lass ten
years have been more orless directly connected;
tor nowadays, when a naturalist studies the
anatomy of an animal, it Is with reference tn
the possible explanation of the manner i'm which
that complicated structure was brought into
existence. II naturalist NOWADAYS i'm yesii.
gates the embrlology OF an animal, that is its
transformations, its successive changes-it Is
with view of ascertainng how that la W which
regulates those changes is stamped upon it as A
living being.
THE RECENT INQUIRIES OF SCIENCE
When naturalists nowadays investigate the
geographical distributions OF animals upon the
surface OF our earth, it is with a view of ascer-
tanning, If 1t can possibly be DONE in what wav
the diversity which prevails all over the globe
mas oeen produced, what is the primitive origin
OF this great diversity. When geulogists IN We -
tigate the fossils, the remains of which arc
buried III the strata of our earth; when lhev
trace the order in which they have followed one
another IN the course OF time, it is al present
has been induced, which were the first which
have followed, and in what relation thev stand
to one another. And when men investigate the
differences which exist among their fellow-men
it is with view of ascertaining whether mon
originated from one primary cause or whether
there is multiple origin to humanity. Yon
see whenever hatuIallsts nowadays approach
their subject, 1t Is everywhere with one view
to ascertain if it can be done in what way tbings
originated and what is the primary cause of tbe
differences which we observe among them. And
the subject Is just opening. We have hardly
any result TO present. On the Contrary W.
have extreme views Clashing with one another
as much so as the views which divide men con.
eerning matters of their salvation, which inte.
rest men with reference TO their social oIeani
Zation. For we have schools in natural history
as there have been schools in philosophy. VIZ
nave, as 1T were, sects, as we have denomina
to present his view of the subject as the onl1
correct one. His obligation is to present hi
views and to discuss his arguments in the hop
OF pressing his views, if he ls deeply convinced
ot their accuracy, upon his hearer, but not will
the pretension that he has found the final solu
ton OF the problem. There is a great chang
IN that respect. great change has come upo
men IN that respect. 1t is no longer possibl
Tor any man, or Tor any set of men, to assum
that the truth is with them exclusively. Me-
have learned that there is only one commo
foundation for their beliefs, however muc
they VIII diner from one another in their reli
glous practices. Men have learned that there
only one source for their knowledge, which /
nature, however much they may differ in thei
Interpretation OF natures facts. And it
with that consciousness that will nresent tbi
evening my view upon the subject Of the reIa
ton which exists between man and monkey
urging those views which are nv convicfion,
but urging them with the consc,ousneSs tba
there are other views entertained by Others
(Applause) ] wish, however TO begin m
statements with clear record and Therefore
want 10 make few statements cOncerninr a,