New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-15
TILE SURHIHAL or TIE FTTEsT


It is rarely, if ever, that the strong points
of the Darwinian theory have been more at
tractiyely presented than last night by Prof
Fiske, at the Cooper Institute. The charge or
superfciality has sometimes been made against
Mr. Darwin, but only by those who were ig-
norant of the facts OF his life and his actual
devotion to scientific research, as well as his
merits as a discoverer. Whatever may be
thought of the views of which he is the ex-
moment. it is certain that he has much ex-
tended our conception Of the breadth of area
and time involved IN the processes Of organic
nature. 1t has been frequent theme with
mOralists to dwell upon the suiferlngs and
brief existences of the animal world, and the
APPARENT cruelty with which certain races
prey upon others that are their natural food !;
but the theory of the survival of the httest
opens to our vision long vista
of geologic ages, in which every
foot of land and sea has been again
and again the scene of the bloodiest
conflicts, the most desperate struggles tor ex-
istence, of the unnumbered myriads that must
continually perish, or the world-nay, the uni
verse-would be overrun. Not the least in
teresting feature of the Darwinian philosophy
is the number Of curious facts in natural his
tory, hitherto unexplained, of which it offers
q solution; such as the fixed character and
peculiarities of color in wild animals and its
ready variation in those which have been long
domesticated the mimicry of c0lOrs in birds
and insects; the laws of colOrs and perfumes
in flowers. But Mr.. Darwin himself never
claimed that the agencies announced by his
IL @ba foo oil in
noting the grand scheme of organic evolu-
ton; and, wonderful as are the pages he has
opened, they tempt the hope that greater
things are in store for the conscientious In
yestgator.
1t is not many years ago that the weapons
of ridicule on the one hand and the cry of ir-
religion on the other, were brought to bear
whenever the affirmative was assumed in the
question of the relationship of man to the
lower animals. AT this point, however, the
problem has the most of human interest.
Very feicitous suggestions are now offered as
to how the earlier developments of intellect
may have originated, and "a to the compare
lively rapid progress of individuals and fami-
lies thus gifted. 1t is certainly remarkable
that the difference of cranial capacity between
times that between the lowest man and the
gorilla. Abundant time is allowed for the
change from ape to man by antedating the
indefinite latter somewhere from 100000 to a
million, perhaps five million years. The
hope is held out for the future that the phys
ical changes of man will be slight compared
with his psychical development 1t is an en-
couraging evidence of the progress of toler-
ance, that large and enlightened audiences are
attracted by the exposition of these theories,
80 recently dreaded as subversive Of estab-
lished beliefs; thus indicating recognition
of the fact that, whether the new doctrines be
false or real they are at least the honest con-
victions of students of nature anxiously seek
ing the simple truth. We do not accept them
but we believe in according them a candid
hearing,