The Portland daily press., 1873-08-23

which he has collected a vast multitude of facts
from all parts of the world and from all de-
partments of natural science. So strong has
he made his position, and so profound has been
the impression upon men of all classes tha1
most scientific men have more or less examiner
the theory in its new relations, and great
many naturalists have given to what is caiied
'Darwinism" their tacit assent, and many oth-
ers their active support.
But Mr. Darwin wisely limits the effects OF
his theory. He admits the creation ct pirmOi-
dal beings, thus avoiding the weakest parts IN
the theories of Lamarck ana ,on ene vesuges,
boundaries of the organic and the inorganic
kipgdoms ont of the discussion. But mean
while other diligent students of nature have
pusbed their Investigations so far into these
unknown regions as to become fully satisfied of
the production of organic beings by natural
Mr.. Crosse announced the generation of new
animals the Acorts Crossii by the agency of
galvanism. But the force of his declaration
was neutralized when others recognized in the
mites, which came trooping up the conducting
wires an old acquaintance, the AcdruS horridas.
But when Drs. Bastian and Child and Prof.
Haeckle, Mr.. Herbert Spencer and others. de-
clare that the evidence of evolution covers the
whole space from inorganic matter up to man,
it becomes matter of more serious import
We find the bases of our applied logic disap-
peariDg, and the old and long trusted dicta of
scientific investigation, swept away.
HarVeyS ueCiafaUlOu OuHe UtUuB eJOOO, is
| giving place to the opposite, Niha viuum e1ooe;
| and the oft used dicIum, there is no beginning
or change of existence without a cause, which
has so often come to our aid when we came to
the end of our knowledge, is rapidly becoming
obsolete before the universal dominion of law.
When we had a million species and long
list of inorganic simpeS and q countless null
ttude of stars, the logician had fine field for
his final causes, but now when all are swept
away, and all things are developed by natural
10 wc ho primoida1 cta 11St ;ef
that alone in all the wide universe admits the
need of a final canse.
But doubtless some ingenious yankee will
soon make telescope sufficiently powerful to
dissolve all nebulae and disslpate all evidence
of fire mist and star dust, and leave nothing
for all things to be developed from, and instead
of proving e1 niha, nitueSt, we shall be COM
| PEELED to adopt again the old faith ex nihil
| onanes sunt
Few men, apprehend, adopted the theory
views above qnoted be correct, science will have
demonstrated the principles upon which it is
based, .'the fundamental law of the develop
melt of the human mind"
If, as Comte says, ignorance alone admits
| necessity for final causes, and if the mind when
it arrives at a perfect knowledge of TRUTH
will admit no final causes, and if this is the
highest stage Of mans development, the last
end of the series which commenced with mere
jelly speek or protoplasm, we must conclude we
ment, mans most perfect state. For the ten
denotes of the age to ignore final causes, simply
because we see few necessities for them, must
satisfy Comte himself.
Now all this sadly nterferes with our long
cherished views of science, and gives us many
sad tinge of heart-ache to part with the
principles instilled into our minds by our
Teachers, the venerated Fathers of American
Science, Cleayeland Silliman, Hitchcock and
Torrey.
But the votaries of science are not the only
class who have had their most cherished opin-
ions seriously jostled by jealous investigators,
who fearlessly express their honest convictions.
We are now prepared to sympathize with the
students of Homer who looked upon the Had
as the greatest Epic, when Wolf and Heyne
declared their model Iliad mere patchwork,
made up of the songs of strollng minstrels;
and the votaries of Shakespeare, since Judge
Holmes and others have proved Shakespeare
was not written by Shakespeare, but by a dis.
graced jurist, who had small gift of poetry.
But we SUBMIT and we are pady to follow
wherever the facts lead. It~is, however, as
Mr.. Darwin says, difficult for us old men to
give up our long cherished views, and it must
| not be deemed strange that we have difficulties
still and some points upon which we need more
light.
1t is my object, having presented the PROPOSE
tion as l understand it, to state some Of these
difficulties without stopping to discuss the is
sues, for as Mr.. Darwin has we'll said, there is
scarcely subject upon which he relies to sus-
tain his theory, which does not furnish argu-
ments for both sides of the question.
l am thoroughly impressed with the idea
that the innumerable facts adduced to estab-
lish this theory do, save in a few cases, lead to
no definite conclusions, but to a mere balancing
of probabilities.
1t also appears that the question at issue has
not been stated with sufficient precision, and
that the different parus Of it have not been SO
carefully analyzed as to give a clear view of
hat pI,0r, al~ .xf
the progress from molecules to man.
A change which can be produced by merely
enlarging muscle is very different from
change which requires the addition of new
muscle, and one which requires the addition
of a new bone to an osSeoue system, is radically
different from one that necessitates the giving
bone where none previously existed.
Tho fact that develop race OF iuug-
tailed dogs into race OF bob-tails, is no evil
aeHee whatever that the bob tabs be
changed into the long tails since one is effected
by losses and the other must be by additions.
1t is far easier to lose than it is to gain.
Again, change involving modification of
organs or properties already possessed can give
no logical relations to one demanding the iu-
PRODUCTION of new organs and new faculties.
The change of the reasoning powers gives no
presumptive evidence that we can create the
moral powers.
Between the lowest organism and man there
seems to be two very serious barriers, one of
which appears utterly unsuperable.
AS the animal is higher than the plant ac-
cording to the theory, plants must be trans
muted into animals But there are certainly
no facts to show such change possible. If
we are referred to the lower orders where the
plants and animals are so near alike, and say
the change may there occur, it leaves the af-
firmative without proof, and my objection still
remains in full force. ~
We have facts to show we may change things,
quality and principle, but none to show we can
develop new ones. How you are to give a
plant nervous system and mental power does
not appear
to support lhe theory you must accept it as
whole, it there are some obscure parts. But
the argument proves too much for Mr. Darwin,
as it would proye the development of matter
into organisms as well as plants into animals.
1t is as easy to give life to molecules as it is to
give mental powers to plant.
But we have no facts to prove the develop
ment of new faculty, SO the facts cannot sup
port theory which covers such changes,
The fact that you can change one animal into
another, only supports theory of the change
| of animals, and not of plants into animals.
The other and to me insuperable barrier, is
the change of the lower animals into man. So
far as the physical nature is concerned it might
be possible, but in the highest degree improba-
BILE, as no changes so radical have been observ-
ed. But when you say the intellectual powers
of monkey are developed into the human
mind, the facts adduced have no relevance to
the case As was said before, the facts which
prove the change of an animal into an animal,
are no proof of a change of a brute into hu-
man, nor of any theory which covers such a
change. What powers of the monkey will you
give the moral powers of man?
Some will say some savages have no
more moral sense than monkey. Then he is
not a man, and the lmpassable barrier is be-
tween your savage and man, and not between
the monkey and the savage. Somewhere you
must add the moral power, if the theory be
made to cover the human race.
Man also has religious or superstiitous ele
ment as it is called by some, which is radically
and totally different from any mental faculty in
any brute. Hence there can be nothing in any
brute to be developed into this faculty of man.
But some say the religious element is product
OF education. Comte, however, declares the
| exact contrary, the more ignorant the more su-
| perstitious Certainly no intellectual state is
more universal. Hence in making man it
must be provided for. can conceive it possi-