Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-03-23
Mistellamtpms.
Monkey and Man.
rom the New York Times.

scent of Man" has recently appeared,
and a lively chronological discussion
may now fairly be expected. The
final conclusion arrived at by Mr.. Dar-
win is thus unequivOcally explained by
him: 'Man is descended from a hairy
quadruped, furnished with tail and
pointed ears, probably arbOreal in his
habits, and an inhabitant of the Old
World" This is laid down by the auth
or as the result of long chain of reason
ing, and we need not say that it will be
hotly disputed. The protracted series
O. skirmishes that has been going on for
the last twelve years, and in which
Huxley, Herbert Spencer and others
have taken part, will now in all proba-
ability eliminate in battle royal, and
end, perhaps, in furnishing the world
with more definite econclusionsthan have
hitherto be en- reached. Pending this
re.,.al. we may observe two interesting
facts: First, that startling as is Mr..
Darwin's proposition, it only affirms as
the final term of logical analysis what
Lord Monboddo bluntly asserted one
hundred years ago without one; and,
second, that the latest discoveries,
which from time to time we have print
GU. SCOul W rCotStOtlSAN tiiO OuROl1Ol
tiquity of man as man of the American
continent. GAe u .'' '.i-5l- a -'.'.1
u Mr.. sDafwin, however, considers that
our original progenitors lived in Africa,
so that the queer song, which claims
among other things that the Ethiopian
is "de sooperior race" may, SO far as
age goes, have something besides hui
lmor to recommend it. Mr.. Darwin
traces, with immense pains and elabor-
alton, the so called evidence in thephy-
sical structure of man of his descent
from less highly organized forms. He
holds that there is general tendency
in our race to augment tenacity of its
functions; theory alto"other in har-
mOny with the ''progres ;ve" nations
of the day. He points out'the curious
rudimentary structures in man, which
he possesses in cannon with some of
the lower animaIs-one of these being
the blunt point on the folded margin of
the ear Mr.. Darwin comedies that the
present difference between the lowest
savage and the highest monkey is
great greater than that between
Shakespeare and an idiot; but he insists
that the difference is not in kind but in
degree. He then proceeds to give a
vast number of illustrations of the Gin
tellectual and emotional pecuIiarities
of the lower animals ~ He tells of a
baboon which "always gets into fu-
rious rage when its keeper takes out a
book and begins to read aloud'-the
animal, no doubt, experimenting the
work to be an -Darwinian treatise
of some kind oranother; or an ape with
which Mr.. Waterhouse was accquaint-
ed, and which sings admirably; Of the
fchimpanzee,..whoc cracks his nuts.,With
stone; of the orang who uses lever; of
the artful balloons who, like the coun-
trymen of William Tell, hurl stones
from the mountain tops on the heads
of their enemies; and ofbther sagacious
creatures of the same tribe who get
drunk over night, and drink lemon
Juice as a corrective in the morning,
cover themselves with leaves when
they are cold, and know enough, as
the adage has it, to ego in when it
rains.o sl FF -saaaa- usssr ,H
All this is very interesting; but still,
as Bendick says. st is no cure for the
Stoothache." In other words, the cum
ming tricks and initiative faculty of the
animals especially when long associa.
ted with man-are well known and
admitted, but scarcely in themselves
establish identity of origin. Neverthe-
less, this is but section of Mr.. Dar-
wins work, and is no doubt led up to
and followed by coherent links ofrea.
soning. Yet, whatever the power and
eloquence of his argument, there can be
no question that Darwin will encounter
sharp obstinate opposition. 1t will
takesom time tOconvince men that they
are all descended from the "hairmant-
led, flint-hurling, aboriginal anthropOp-
hagus;" and to get them to confess
their >filial obligations to the baboor
will be difficult indeed. We know mo-
whether, Mr.. Barnum still clings to hi:
former ingenious theory concerning
the origin of the "What Is It," but |
Mr.. Darwin goes ON lecturing tour, as
it is said he will do, we recommend
him to emulate in this wise Temperance
orators, and take the "What Is 1t, y
along with him.as at.horrid example, D
He will thus have ready at hand a for
chile illustration of one of his. conclu
ding remarks which is to the effec
that man should not be ashamed of hi
descent, but ought rather to reflect witt
pride on the method in which he ha'
J reached the top of the organic scale.
-8 OH TT ID : : - -7----7- -lTlsl -Il D.