New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-10-22
NAV PUBLICATIONS.
nm POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. cOodu'''d " I"
~" YorxAxA Eovcmbe. AppletOnA

nh
s,,,v ., sociology" with which this numuer op ,
o'y y e. ascnssiou Of the objective difficulties when
narrass the inquiry and are fertile souree u
ono ~ the most serious perversions Oh e'iuou0o
o,scions confounding Of inference WIN eoseINa"0
,,, doun a. something actually perceived Wha' ~ !"
roolitv merely a conclusion drawn from someOnhs PC
soiso1 Again we are led away by superficial ulViai
go, tror the rofound and significant facts which tneS
indicate The small details OF social life which
tho IDLE love OF gossip conceal the vital acuohs
undefle Them Every social phenomenon results - w.,
an immense aggregate Of causes Now we may 'HAo Wv
phenomenon itself as intrinscally important, 80.
Egn of some ineonspicuous truth oi rai s..uoo
poso sonrces Of error are set forth by MT spencer
with singular aptness and force OF hus'i"''V ~,
epart from the vtstion OF evidence arising Vu ~
tendency 10 assume as fact observed "na' 70 90
,,o from, an observation, and to neglect the anay
80 hcb traces superficial results TO profound causes
~, sencer offers some striking remarks on the perver-
on OF evidence consequent on its dstrouuoh III sP"cc
Consider how impossible II Is truly 10 conceive ~ r
lively simple a thing the territory which Society
covers Even by the aid of maps, geographical ana
geological slowly elaborated by muttudes OF surveyors
even nv the aid OF descriptions Of towns countess
mountainous and rural distrcts-even ny the ala Oh su
personal observations have made here ana tne'e
IN Journeys during life; we can Teach nothing at
proaching TO a true idea of the actual Varleu
surface-arabe, grass-covered, wooded nat' UNI
Aulatine rocky drained by rifle, brooks, and
slow rivers; spriukled with cottages, FARMS VlllaS
cities Imagination simply rambles hither ana 'niIhe
and fails utterly frame an adequate thought vi '"o
whole How then, shall frame an adequate thought OF
dfused moral feeling OF an intellectual stae' oi CUM
ercal activity pervadng this territory; unaided by
maps and aided only by the careless statements OF care
less observersl Respecting most of the phenomena
considered displayed by whole nation, only the d-
NEST apprehensons are possible; and how untTust-
worthy they are. is shown by every parliamentary
debate, by every days newspapers, and by every
evenings conversations; which seyeraly disclose qute
conflicting estimates" series of original and very curl
ons views presented with regard TO the distribution OF
the facts OF social in time The slow genesis OF
socal phenomena of the most remarkable crcum-
stances in the history Of civilization. In all living ana
progressive societies. every new factor becomes per
manent force modifying the direction OF movement
growing out Of the aggregate or forces Inc
oourse of social changes Is never simple and
direct, but irregular and rhythmica. We can
never indge of its general character by inspect
ing any small portion Of it. Even so simple
thing as a line of single curvature cannot be determined
unless it has considerable length Set four points close
together You cannot tell whether the curve which
passes through them belongs TO circle an ellpse,
parabola or hyperbola let the points be further
apart and you form opinion Of the nature OF
the curve Non OF least that Is not circle
Let them be still and you know thati is
neither an elhpse a paraboa. But when the dis
tances relatively great, the mathematician can pro
nounce with certainty what curve Will pass through
them all So in the life of nation, all the smaller and
greater Ihythms of which fall within certain general
directions cannot trace their course by looking at
stages that close together No additional force can
be computed by observing only few years. or lew
generations Each factor. besides Its immediate in
nueuce on the OF a movement. affects 1t also
in a remote way, by changing the operation Of all
the other II brng6 into play forces OF many
kinds that without regaJd to the original influence
and NAV produce quite opposite effects Take the fact
Of human sacrifices illustration Their origin is
TO found the Of esnnibal races The chiefs.
who the largest consumers of human hesh' are
apotbeoszed when they die and are believed feed
after death souls Of the departed. But the pro
gress various civilizations shows that the sacrifice
prisoners and others, which once general usage
among canniba ancestry continues as an ecclesiastical
long after having died out in the or naTy lie OF
society. cutting implements Of stone remain in
usc for sacrcia purposes when implements Of bronze,
and even iron used for all other purposes The
primitive method Of obtaining fire by the lction Of two
pieces OF wood, in religious ceremonies long
after its abandonment in the household Even now
among the HindOOs the flame for the altar is knded by
the frcdr The persistence with which the oldest parts
ofsocl arrangements maintain their original features
IN spite Of modifying influences is shown in the deye
opmcut Of languages Among the Egyptians the most
ancient form hieroglyphics retained for sacred
records when forms ADOPTED for other pur
poses. continued Of Hebrew for religious SER
vices among the Jews and OF Latin for the Roman
Catholic service other examples of this tendency,
apart from the particular creed. The less dominant
sc,lr.ilstic.sn Of Protestant churches exhibits a
Kindred tIat The English Of the Bible is OF
an older style than the English Of the date at which the
Translation was made. In the book of Common Prayer
various words obsolete meanings, and are
pronounced IN obsolete ways. Even che Typography.
with its Illuminated letters of the rubric shows traces of
the tendency. Tie Pusevtes and ritualst aiming
to reinforce ecclesastcsm, betray decided leaning
toward archaic PRINT. as wen archaic orna.
ments Then movement indeed, in the aesthetic drec-
Hou has brought back the most primitive type Of sculp
tre for monumental purposes We also find adhesion
TO what rs old in usage and doctrine. Not only among
Roman Catholics but among many Protesants, the
Fathers are still! recognized IS authority in
matters Of faith. The pending controversy OH the
Atbanasian creed shows how much importance
Is attached 70 antique document A
similar tendency is conspicuous everywhere in legal
FORMS language and instruments. Parchment in Eu-
gland is retained for law deeds though paper has
placed il for other purposes. The form OF writing
old form. Latin and Norman French terms still in
use for legal purposes, though not otherwise in
Even old English words, such SEIZE" retain in law
meanings which they have lost in current speech. The
seal which at first the signature continues, though
1t is practically replaced by the written signature
We retain symbol Of the symbol, using q paper
wafer 10 represent the SEAL Even still antique
usaees in legal transactions in Scotland where
a portion Of rock handed over when an estate is
sold, answering 70 the ancient ceremony OF sending
earth and water sign Of yielding terri
tory. illustrations OF clingng to old customs, after
their vitality is extinct ike cherhing dead body after
the breath has passed away may also be found in the
workings Of State departments In spite OF the demands
Of national safety il long before the flint lock for
muskets replaced by the percussion lock- The rife
used for generations by spOrtsmen before II was
adopted for military purposes Bookkeeping by double
entry had long been established in mercantile houses
bookkeeping tho