New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-03-17

Appleton < Go.
NJ cronnd occupied by the author Of this volume
& tbat Of adherence to the doctrine OF evolution, as
cvnlaiuiug tie mystery Of the origin OF species,
while he hesitatcs to carry the principle OF ha'"I"i
selection to the extreme conclusions mhh'huc" ~
Mr.. Darwin, and other eminent advocates OIL tuo
,bcorv which has given so wide celebrity 10 ms
name 1t is the purpose Of his labors in the presei
o-l 10 aid in the reconciliation of condictng opin-
iona and in the establishment Of such views rs VIII
co,relolv harmonic with the teachings Of science,
philosophy, and religion.
THE objections thai have been brought against the
doctlne Of evoluton account OF It's religious bear
5ncs arc in the opinion of Mr. Mivart without toun
dalion is consequences in the domain of theology
have been GROSSLY exaggerated both by It's opponents
.,d its supporters. Especially is this the ease with
that form OF the evolution theory which has been set
so-h by Mr.. Darvin but yet neither the refutaton
nor the demonstration Of that theory would be at
tended Jy tho results which arc hoped for by one
party and drcadcd by another The general doctrine
Of evolution is doubtless steadily gaining ground,
crd We laay safely predict that the number Of tacis
II its support viii in a few years receive large IN
crease Bat 10 one as the author OF this woIA
alleges should be alarmed at the prevalence OF tle
doctrine since imperfect harmony win INC 'c'"
fues OF the most Iie1d Christian theology IN PROOF
cf this posi.on Mr. &vart who, in spite OF MS ue-
20 be vel read in the writings Of CL.stiananAqu'ty
arnoals 10 the ertnony of several eminent apthor-
,cs Of .Ic Catholic Church ST. Augustine Tor III
stance is referred TO 90 insisting ON the d'iNa'Nc
sense in which tho divine creation Of organic t,ins
is+o be understood. The doctrine of this celebrated
FstLer that God created tho animals OF the earh
and water by comforting on the material Wotd Ihe
p9.-cr to evolve them under suitable cohGitlohS' 81
Tbo-,,s touiDas quotes with approval the saying OF
e.. o. L. f-af = nj an of
not look fer miracles bat for the laws Of M
fire and that the different species wore created not
Absolutely but potentially, or dcrivatiyeiy' Other
rori,.tia1abe authorities 10 the same onect are adj
6nccd by Nr. A.iyart showing that IN the view of
the most oltLodox divincs in tho early aces oil the
Church the action of the supernatural IN the sphere
81 material nature was an UuteDaoic assumption n
remarkable passage II rom a modern Catholic thinker
ccgGucs The opinions Of the Church Fathers, and
presents % striking Illustration Of thc ideas Of the
most recent scientific inQuiroIs. "Thc oreotionist
theory does not nctccssitate the perpetual search
Observation-Disclosures &c miraculous powers and per-
petuol csta.trouh g. Creation IS not miraculous
lnterfe,.rc With the laws Of nature, bat the very
ir.+ffr.ir .. of t'.se laws. Law and regularity not
zrlrary invention was the patr tic ideal OF crca-
ton With this notion, they admitted without Gl.i-
rrly, .hc most surprising origin Of living cTcatare''
provided it tool, place by law They held that when
a.. =
vr.lu.cf he conf forces on tLc clements OF earth
md v Ter. which cnaIl 4 them naturally 10 produce
thovagiyus .a.ci,s Of organic beings. This power,
tE.r tLcuott. remains attached 10 the clements
tiIoul bon, al tJ.,'
Wiih tb.e5 views Of the process Of creation, Mr..
1fiyert entirely comedies, and makes Skilliu use
Of them in s cnde1v0r 10 set aside the objections 81
NJ Darwin and his school on tie one hand, and the
advocates a @ Girec. supernatural Intervention on
q Z rr.FAf rr
-hor on tie subject, be argues that in the shicJoat
and hest sense creation il the absolute Original
zion oc anything by God without proeXis.ing means
or material and is n supernatural Get Bat In The
scceuIa.y and lower sense creation is lie formation
O. ANYTHING bg God Lc.iyatycly that il TO say the
preceding matter has been created with tie potcn-
tiaiity t. evolve from il, under suitable conditions,
al Ike various fous il sU' seQGntly assumes. TINS
power has been conferred by God in Che inst ms ancc
Enl those laws through the action OF which The SUIT
al c conditions arc supplied, have been established
b. him and hence he IS said in this lower sense 70
create such various subsequent forms. This is ihe
natural action o. GOD in the ply cal void, Is dls-
tirgpisLed from his direct OF supernatural action.
Bal Will absolute creation. physical science has
rofhiuc TO do ~ this sphere ccieHce has no voice
Jtclu uaitlcc deny. nor affirm anything with regard
20 the act in question. The doctrine OF evolution
hovcy r r. byno means inconsiStcn, with the idea
Of Gcli.a.ire c-c,{on, Tat is, the divine action
Though ra,c1-i laws.
Fully acco1t'ne, therefore the theory of evolution
g. explain ng the orr gin Of the human form, as well
Is that of tic lower animals Mr.. Mivart presents
lrcd ateneut of the limitations to which the prin-
chile Of natural selection is subject and which NJ.
Darwin aud Lis followers have failed to recognize
Among lhc specifications which he illustrates with
great clcarncss he assigns an important place to the
incdcQuacy OF natural selection TO account for the
inoirent stages Of useful structures. According to
Mr.. Darwin the spontaneous variations upon which
his Theory depends are individually slight, minute,
and inseu ibc. I'm many instances, doubt, the
conservation # these differences presents no dili-
Guilty. They may easily he understood, for example,
when they tend to promote the destructive facules
OF beasts Of prey, TIE one hand, or to facilitate
The I'll gbt or couccament Of the animals pursued
tic other. But some OF the cases, on which great
reliance has been placed, the neck OF the giraffe
for instance, appear less satisfactory after careful
ANALYSIS Admit that severe dIOuths occasionally
occur I'm the country which the animal asinhabited
it is plain that after the ground vegetation has been
consumed leaving the trees alone to feed upon only
those individuals OF hc iucpient giraffe species that
were able TO reach high up would be preserved aud
their offspring would inherit certain degree Of the
same power. At the next drouth, only the high
reacLiug issue Of these Ligf-reachng individuals
would be preserved and would in their turn again
transmit to their offspring their still l0ftier stature;
and 50 on through vast periods Of time, all Che ndi
vidua that tended 10 revert TO the original shorter
type Of body being swept away at The occurrence Of
each successive drOuth.
But this argument, says Mr. Miyart, proves too
much. ii follows from il that many species must
have tended TO similar modification and we ought
10 have several forms similar % the giraffe That