The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-30
New Books.

New Books.
The Descent Of Man, and Selection in Rela-
tton to Sea. ByLHARLEs DARWIN, NJ. A.,
+. r. s., etc., with illustrations. In 2
vols. New York D. APPLETON q Co.
This work has created sensation in the
world, and most reading people have read
something of 1t, and know what its main
object is. The author, naturalist of high
scientific attainments, presented to the pub
lie some years since work of remarkable
ability, in which he taught by unavoidable
implication that the progress Of the human
species was towards perfection; and that
the superior race Of man would ultimately
monopolise the earth-those races incapa-
BILE of elevation being destroyed in the
course of nature or by the necessities of the
predominant family of mankind.
DARw1N's former work, "The Origin of
Species" of which this is continuation as
1t were, did not subject man fully to the
dogma that "species are the modified de-
scendants of other Species" In this book
he remedies what he conceives to be de-
feet, and puts man squarely upon the the
DRY applied to animal life in other forms.
His present work has neither met with
the favor with which his former great effort
was received nor has it escaped severe criti-
cism. Briefly stated, his theory is that the
type of animal called man was originally
non-eXistent that it has been the result of
gradual development and animal alli-
ances, which, beginning even in SO low
scale as the polyp, or mollusc, was ele-
waited from one stage to another until the
animal aspiring to manhood had tail to
unfold, which tail, finally sloushing and
falling away, developed man-rude and I'M
couth enough, but still the creature which,
by this process Of Improvement, has be-
come what we see him now and what we
are!
In this extraordinary book we suppose
we have illustrated to us that wonderful
self.conceit of many great authors which
drives them into follies that are the jest, if
not the pity. Of the world. MIR. DARWIN
having formed theory that looked. with
reference to man at least, to the future, he
deemed it incomplete unless it had begin
ming. So he went to work to make this
beginning, and he did so effectually. He
created man out of the spawn of the salt
ooze, and taking him upward in line mon.
strous and impossible, through gradations
of various kinds, makes him what he is.
According to the cosmogony Of the Israeli
ties, believed by the Christians, God created
man in his own image, out of red earth,
and placed him on the earth rs the
ruler over all things upon the earth.
That was an act OF creative power that
must be believed. 1t cannot, of course,
be understood. But DARWIN gives us
an account more difficult to bel;eve-one
that is contradicted by all that we know
the process of generation since
the beginning, and since the laws of nature
we're established. He offers theory in
Volyed in greater mystery than the account
We have already upon the authority Of rev.
elation and Inspiration. And it is exactly
Upon this point and in this way that Provi-
lence continues to bring confusion and con-
empt upon rationalism by forcing RATIONAL
SITS to set up theories far more incredible
han the direct and simple story OF that di-
'ine history accepted by the civilized
world.
If you follow Mr.. DARWIN you must con-
ent that MAN began in the lowest form of ,
ife, and you must behold him in any form
lou like upward from that stage-in crawl
ng upon the earth, in moving on all-iours
With tall, then rs an ape, an ourang-
,utang, a gorilla, and so on. What mys-
cry that would be indeed. Far greater
han that we have in the Divine history, !
md entirely opposed by everything We
tnolo concerning nature as finished and set !
n operation by the Creator.
In none of the ages whose remains throw
light upon the past has there been any
hing discovered to favor this theory.
Neither impression nor fossil gives it aid
rom the Eocene period downward
not the age of bone, nor stone. nor brass
Yields any testimony to help it. Man has
never been found with the tail and yet the
luthor says that be has never seen an at
empt made to account for how man lost
lis tail, of which he contends there re.
mains the rudiment. This may be COM
'letely answered with the reply that the
act that he ever had a tail has never been
Of animals the species, in all historic
ees, have not been changed. Crosses
AVE been attempted, and though |
hanges of form have been wrought
" crossing somewhat differing varieties
# the same genus, no new animal
Las been produced. Where crosses have
,een made, as between the Caucasian and
Asiatic or African races, the tendency has
yer been to return to the original stock,
With its peculiarities. The proofs rise be-
ore us everywhere. The crosses of distinct !
pecies. as of the ass and the horse, are in
capable generally of procreation and if at |
III, the capacity only appears sufficiently to
how its utter ineficiency to establish |
lew species.
The proof against Mr.. DARwIN's doctrine
) so very strong that it is established that,
even where through accident, or force, or |
morbid passion, sexual intercourse occurs
between distinct races, the offspring, If |
my, is hybrid, and cannot continue Its ex.
stence by transmission.
The theory of DARWIN is certainly the |
most absurd that has been announced dur
ng the present century. If sincerely put
'orth, it is a proof of the pride, if not the
of genius. He wanted his theory
Of the advancement of man towards per-
lection to have beginning, and for the
sake of thus perfecting it he has arrayed |
himself not only against revelation, but |
against reason and nature. Some one has |
that he wrote his book to humble |