, 1873-02-09


cip1ned we're sure Of victory. From this
beginning We have the nervous f5rco
transmitted from generation to generation, and
the hereditary doctrine is pcrpetuation OF the
principle OF Caste, thus inaugurated BY the doc
trino Of "uatu1al selection" Mr. Dagehot him
we're not the subjects Of his discussion, but they
ere evidently tho conclusions Of Ills process Of
reasoning.
ifr Francis Galton, the author OF the volume
On Hereditary Gonius, !" which excited 80 mnch
attention few years ago, now proposes
to put his ideas to practical appli-
cation, thus recognizing not only
tic existence of Caste, but it's usefulness to an-
kind. In recent number OF Frase,'s Magazine,
be proposes plan for refining and improving
tho better qualities Of mind and body that are to
be found in the superior classes, with view to
providing, at some future time, E race OF men Of
little less than supreme knowledge and virtue.
His plan is far above the ideas Of Stephen Pearl
Andrews theory Of 6tirpicu1ture, and tho pzac-
tices of the Oneida Community, so far as decency
goes But the principle itself does not
appear to diHer very materially from
that which under1iea the other PHILOSOPHERS that
pretend to look to tie same object. Hc desires
to establish Caste among persons Of good birth
and personal worth, by which they only shall IN
termary among themselves. With implicit
faith in his theory OF hereditary genius, he be-
Ieves TINT such course would be sure to emo
bio the particular race that would thus be pro-
duced, and lead it to great accomplishments IN
tho fields Of virtue and mental progress. Alr.
Galton is not especially happy in his refer
ence to the German nobility, Who maintain
this rule Of exclusion in their marriages;
for historic truth would scarcely show that the
nobility of Germany have accomplished 60 muck
for the progress Of civilization, the development
OF society, or the improvement Of morals as the
Do,u.geoisie, who have not enjoyed tho adTan-
tages Of an exclusive mixture OF noble blood.
Another serious objection may be urged in the
fact that under an agreement Of this kind (even
il. it wore at Ill practicable), men and women
would marry in their own small class from
q sense Of duly, or under the dictates OF
pride, rather than with any considers
ton for their. own happiness. It is certainly a
question whether unhappy, OF, at best, nesa-
lively contented, marriages would produce the
favorable results which Mr. Galton anticipates.
This is doubtful, even when admitting that his
theory of hereditary genius is correct. Apothnr
serious objection might present itsof in the
course Of time. There would be raco of peo-
pie given to literature, trt, and culture OF al
kinds, but necessarily uututored in the way Of
businees or eelf-protection. It is more than
likely that such people would be the prey OF the
rest of mankind, and reduced to poverty md
suffering. If they formed : nation, other na-
tons of warlike disposition and requirements
would have them completely in their power.
The truth is, that Caste, such as it is, must
follow the law OF ''natural selection" or Of
chance, or Of circumstances, or Of whatever else
may determine it from time to time. II, on the
one hand, it is not to be abolished, appearing in
some other form whenever it is crushed out, so,
on the other hand, it is not to be cult
rated by any system Of marriage
or hereditary recognition. It may be
well enough to discuss tho probabilities OF he
rcditary genius, and. perhaps, not altogether un-
| profitable but, for all that, genius cannot be
controlled by conventional laws. It must fol-
low it's own bent, and it will transmit itself the
moro surely by doing SO.