The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-02-23
WAS MAN ONCE AN APE F,
DARwINs LATEST VIEWS ON THE DESCENT
OF OUR RACE.

Charles Robert Darwin, distinguished
naturalist, who has gained much celeb
ri'y by his book on "The OrIg.n Oi
SPECIES" has just published another IL
England on "The Descent of Man,
ment here as it has III, re:
WHAT IS DARwlNIsM?
Darwinism is the attempt Ia account
for the present. and past diversltles OF
life ON our g!"he by means of 81 c'n'Inn
Ous-dfvel' pment, without he lnterventi
of special ere tive fats at the origin II
each distinct species 1t is well known
that in the hands rs breeders useful pc
cuiarities in ANIMALS are prrpetuated ~
paring those VIII, show such pecullhrities.
Our present improved br eds of !"ng-
horned and short horned CATTLE, race
horses m.rino shrep.and the countless va
rrttles - ptgcnus, all developed from ii
single stock, demonstrate that these pecu-
liarl'Ie~ may n Il only be perpetuated, bur
increased largely, if MOI lndshnit'ly. This
profess is known AS Selectl n, aud Is uSeu
by man exclusively for his own benet
Mr.. Darwin rX'endS this procedure 10
Nature, with nn Important chang in its
object. Man can only select VISIBLE chr
acteristlcs Nature, on the CON RI y, is
continual scrutinlzing the whole being,
AMI as continually stamping with appro-
va those variations which are useful co
the organism.
fhs principle works altogether by
means of lIft. and deatl-the latter being
q PENAL of failure to meet successfully
The e. rcumstanceS IN which being Is
placed, he TN ST. clrcum, tances physical
or vital, enemies or fnrceS-ln word,
"thc condition al Xistence.
An illustration gwen by Prot. Huxley
Will serve tp fix this III the mind: In
the woods of Florid, here are many pigs,
and, very cIlrlousIy, they are hi black.
Professor Wyman, mauy years ago, asked
some OF he penpie why thy had no
white pigs, and was informed that there
was a rot in the woods Called paint
rnot), If which, ifthe white pgs eat,
Their boots cracked and they died. while
it did not hurt the black pigs at all"
THIS weedlng out on the ont 81 e, and
preservation on The other, is hat is
meant bv natural selection.
THE FOLLOWING EXTRACsL
from adv nee sheets of Mr.. DarwIn's new
book will indicate It's character:
Babouns fir. quent hlIly and r'cky dts
tricts, and only from necessity cllno up
high trees and they have acquired al
most the gait OF IL deg Man alone has
become bptd and we can think.
partly see how be has come tn assume his
erect attitude, when forms one of the
mnsF CONSPICUOUS difference, between him
AID his allies Man could not have at
tanned his present dominant position in
the world without the the use of his
han Is. which are SO admirably adapted
to ac; in Obedience to his will.
As SIR &. Belt insists, he hand sup
plies all Instruments, aud by its Cures
pondrncc with the intellect, gives him
universal dominion" But the hands and
arms could hardly have become peI!ec'
enough To have manufactured weapons, 81
to have hurled stones and spears with a
true aim, as long as thew were habItualiy
used for Iocomotlon and for supporting
the whole weight IF the body, or as long
rs they were especially we'll adapted, MS
previously remarked, for climbing trees.
Such rough trtatmpnt would also have
blunted the sense If T. uah, on which their
d licate use largely depends. From these
causes alone would have heenan advantage
to have be- a blped. but for many nc
tons, ii Is almost necessary that both the
arms and the whole upper part # the
budv should be free; and he must for
this end stand firmly on his feet To
gain this advantage the feet have been
rendered fat, and the great toe peculiar
ly modifie d, though this has entalled the
loss of the power of prehension 1t &C
cords with he principle of the division
of physiological labor, WI ich prevails
throughnu' the animal kingdom, that as
the hands became perfected for prehen
SION, The foot should have become perfect
ed Tor support and locomotion. With
Some savages, however, the foot has not
altogether lost its prehensile power as
shown by their manner of
CLIMBING TREES
In regard to bodily size or strength, we
do not know whether man is descended
from some comparatively small species,
like the cbimpanZee, or from one so pow
er!ul as the gorilla; and therefore We
cannot say whether man has become larg
er and stronger. "r smaller and weaker, in
comparison with hIs progenitors
We should, however bear in mind that
an animal possessing great size, strength
and trroclty, and which, like the gorilla,
could defend itself from all enemies, would
probably, though not necessarily, have
failed to become social; and this would
have most tffrctually checked the acquire
ment by man of his higher mental quail
ties, such as >ympathy and the love OF
ms fellow creatures. Hence it might
have been al immense advantage to mar
to have sprung from some comparatively
weak creature.