Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1868-12-19
PROGRESS OF THEORY

PROGRESS OF DARwnrs THEoRY
There are few subjects in the domain
Of physiological science that have been
more vigorously assaulted or more stoutly
defended than Darwin's theory on the
Origin of Species by Natural Sslec-
tion." The controversy during the last
six or eight years has engaged the
minds and the pens of some of the
ablest and most original thinkers in
Europe, and yet the theory is neither
overturned o checked in its progress.
Without expressing any opinion as to
its merits, it is worthy Of note that it
has made some distinguished converts.
Ten years ago, Mr.. Darwin, who repre-
sents the third generation of distin-
guished naturalists of that family, pub
lished his work on " The Origin of Spe-
%cies," and now Sir Charles Lyell, q
veteran, and in himself a power in SCI
ence, abandons late in life q theory
which for forty years he had made the
very foundation of q work which had
given him the utmost fame, to adopt the
theory of a former pupil, and acknowl-
edges that the principles there pro-
pounded are more in harmony with the
slow changes in the history Of our
planet than any others which he esteems
at all tenable. Perhaps nothing is more
valuable in the present state of science
than to note the many important gener.
a~lizations which have ficwsd from Mr..
Darwin's papers on the fertilization of
plants, some of which, though ap-
pearing to be commonplace, are
really the most subtle, and would
never have occurred to any but a thor
oughly cultivated mind. Take, for in
stance, the circumstance he mentions,
that plants with conspicuously colorsd
flowers or powerful odors or honeyed
secretions, are fcrtilized by insects, and
that the unconspicuous flowers are fer
tilted by the wind, so that until honey
feeding insects existed, the vegetation
of our globe could not have been orna-
mented with bright colored flowers, but
consisted of such plants as pines, oaks,
grapes, %nettles, etc. In fact, what Far
aday's discoveries are to chemistry and
magnetism, Mr.. Darwin's seem about
to prove to rural economy in the widest
sense.
The most recent argument urged
against Mr.. Darwin's views, is that the
age of the inhabited world, as calculated
by solar physics, is supposed to have
boon limited to a period wholly incon-
sistsnt with his system. This would
be q valid objection if the system de-
pended on one school of biologists, and
if tho period that some adopt as the age
of the world were an approximate esti'
mate entertained by either astronomers
or physicists. But when one author
gives SIS possible limits, either twenty
millions or four hundred millions, and
others assign to the habitable globe an
age far exceeding the longest of these
periods, there can be no principles or
which any one 10 warranted in asSum.
ing the speculations Of the astronomer to
be more worthy of confidence than those
Of the biologist.
Prehistoric Archaeology now offers to
lead us where man has not hitherto ven.
tured to tread. or all truth, it has well
been said by Mr.. Disraeli that "it is the
sovereign passion of mankind )" and
Mr.. Herbert Spencer has added, N'if 70.
ligion and science are to be %reconciled,
the basis Of reconciliation must be this
deepest, widest and most certain Of
facts, that the power which the universe
manifests to us is utterly inscrutabls."
The bond which unitss the physical and
spiritual history of man, and the forces
which manifest themselves in the alter
nate victories of mind and matter over
the actions of the individual arc, Of all
subjects, the most absorbing and in.
scrutable.
To matter or to force,
The all 10 now confined;
Beside the law Of things
Is set the law Of mind.
One speaks in rock and star,
And one within the man;
In unison at times,