Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-06-28
Human DegencratiOnS.

tue " Temptation and the Fall Adam is
represented as model Frenchman, even to
the well.waxed and cured moustache. And
if llottentot or an Apache ever troubles
himself about his first progenitor, his fancy
doubtless, paints him with black or red skin,
and hair woolier or straghter than his own.
For our own part we imagine the first man to
have been a model American tall, lank, and
hungry as the national type and devout aud
prayeriul as ! Fisk, Jr, on his martial ex
cursons.
But whatever he was it is represented that
he came good and pure from the hand Of his
Creator, and ir lac did he certainly has de-
generated since his creation. II, however
this account Of the original man is incorrect
and the Darwnian theory j. right, there are
cases, both individual and national in which
the primitive ape or original monkey has pro-
found reason to be ashamed of his descendants.
The primnva man, even though he crawled
before he walked, and lived on berries and
acorns before he knew any thing Of roast beef
or pig and yelled the uncouth gibberish Of
the Simian tribe before he discovered articu-
late language, and lighted on his first deity
in stone or a fish bone, has some reason to
affirm that his SUCCESSORS have fallen from
their original apehood into the late specimens
OF humanity that the world has been forced
to behold If there Las been a difference al
ways between men and monkies, we can
comprehend the old definition Of man as a
laughing animal for he has had some
thing to laugh at whenever he has seen
monkey. But we could hardly expect even
the original Darwnian man to laugh at the ex-
PLOTS Of his descendants in the " most culti-
waited nation on the face of the globe France
teaches Us that the developed man can do
things at which men could not smile and at
which even angels must weep
The later accounts from Paris, which fur
nsh the particulars OF the reign Of the Com
mune and Of the excuses Of its last days, give
us reason to believe in the degeneration posi-
bic to the human race. At least if it is too
much to say Of any race or nation Of men
that It has maniiestly degenerated from its nor
NAL type, it is not too much to affirm that
there are large classes Of men rising up from
time TO time 10 our civilized societies, who
20 b,b 10
Of opinions and false ideas of life or reform or
social institutions Of use and abuse Of stmu-
lants and narcotics, have descended to actions
and to crimes, which indicate that the lowest
degeneraey is possible to men. And it is a
very obvious fact that these " dangerous
classes, not without intelligence nor alto
gether devoid Of sort Of moral sensation,
which render men subject to impulses from
any and every quarter, are becoming larger,
more numerous and more effective il all the
large centres of our modern civilization. And
it is quite clear that under the stimulating
influence of the democratic ideas which pre-
vail in politics and the humanitarian ideas
which prevail in religion, these morbid va
reties Of our race increase in numbers, IL
power, and in ability TO overthrow the ancieD
structures and usages of society, just as the
topped over the monument in the Plac'
Vendome in Paris.
That they are actuated largely by hatre'
of established religious faith, Of the right
of property Of the social order and restraint
which have always existed, is quite apparent
On no other supposition can we expai
the special acts of the Commune with refer
ence to the archbishop and priests whom the
held as hostages. Their animosity seemed t
be especially directed against churches an
defenceless religious orders and unhapp
priests. Women took part in all the atroc
ties of the maddened men, and shamele
courtesan denuded herself of her clothing
hang it about marble statue Of the Virgi
Mary in the church Of Notre Dame. 1t
said also that had the Commune been success
lul, they would have declared the universe
freedom Of all social aud sexual relation
aud introduced gregarious state like that {
the beasts or that Of the ancient Simi;
from whom Darwin claims our race to hay
sprung. But whether they would have don
this or would not have done it, we have re
son TO infer that our civilization developes
its great centers of trade and populatio
large classes whose ideas or whose passio
fit them for rites and atrocities which ha'
been undreamed of even by the most barba
ic tribes. In their attempts to soar highC
they have fallen lower than any who ha
gone before them. There are some W
think this Commune experiment is not end
yet, that it is to be tried over again on
larger scale in all the civilized nations tn
London aud Berlin and New Y ork are getti
ready for it, and that smaller cities all oy
the world will be the satellites Of these wa
dering stars and follow their wake But
that ever comes to pass, the intelligent a
pure members of society might almost W
to exchange their humanity for the origi
vesture of apehood, aud hide themselves fir
the storm in the seclusion of the darkest {
ests of the earth.
There seems, however, to be Il limit to
man development After a while the CT
cent becomes the decrescent moon. Hist
is full Of instances Of the rise decline ,
fall Of nations. The history of the Span
and Portuguese conquests Of modern tin
abounds with illustrations Of these poll
We do not need to go back to Carnac
Luxor; to Tyre and Damascus; to Ath
and Pompeii to prove them. In modern
tory as well as in ancient, conquered ra
have well nigh disappeared, while the cong
rOrs have become greatly degenerated,
commenced career of falling fortunes.
Malacca and in Mexico are still the desce
ants Of the Portuguese and Spanish CONC
rors. They bear great names names Of
heroes; just as we now find Homer's