The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-02-21
WHEELING WEST VA SATURDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY 81 1884,

finite intelligence" ''creatlve will" &C.
whose employment only serves 10 deepen
It's obscurlty, we have here q conceivable
rational H10lUS operdndi, sanctioned BY
reason, and illustrated and strengthed by
analogy. In the present state OF our
knowledge We cannot so readily demon
srate its laws a. we can those ior which
the before mentioned theories were franz
ed to account, for three reasons: First,
because Ito modes Of action are far more
complex and abStruse than any OF these !;
secondly, because the short time that has
elapsed since Its promulgation has not
been sufficient for the necessary observa.
tions, and lastly, the changes which pro.
duce the notifications determining
species are 80 slow and gradual In their
operation, that they extend far beyond
the lie time OF q human observer, or even
Of race, and each alteration In condition
is 80 infnitesimal that long periods Of
time are requisite to note any perceptible
difference. Yet, be they ever so minute,
In time any conceivable change may be
wrought. Take for example perfect
cone, and cutting of portion near the
apex by q section parallel with Its base,
its vertical axis will be bisected at an
angle OF 90 degrees, and the resulting
surface will be circular plane. Out lie
axis however at an angle Of 80 deg. SO
min. SO secsL, and, although no longer
perfect circle, no instrument can be do.
vised sufficiently delicate to note the dif-
ference. Make q thousand such cuttings
and no human eye could discern the
slightest change, yet continue the imper-
ceptible changing and the shape OF the
surface will slowly elongate into Gn ellipse,
will then gradually grow into parabola
and finally become hyperbola, q figure
bearing no resemblance 10 It's original.
An infant may eventually become a man,
yet on no one day can any difference be
perceived In its development as compared
with the preceding day, or with the day
following,
QUESTIONS FOR "HoAIo."
How does "Homo" account for the fact
that In an order, such for instance as that
OF the saurians, extending from the creta-
ceous epoch to the present time, whose
extremes the crocodile and his great pro.
genitors OF that era are 80 unlike as
scarcely 10 be clsssed In the same order,
there should be such gradation between
the terminal links as to complete tho
chain and render the appearance OF direct
descent perfect? Or what does he think
Of the millions Of extinct types of organic
liteT Does he suppose there were count.
less successive cataclysms to exanimate
the earth Or does he consider that the
work oi creation was tentative process
with the Almighty, and that discouraged
with His early attempts He kept on de-
stroying until His experiments were salts.
factoryH Geology shows us there have
been no changes in the character of the
earth's surface since 1t was first capable |
Of sustaining organic life, such as would |
imply the instant determination Of spe-
cies, and confess my inability to con-
ceiVe OF any means, or upon theological
grounds Of any necessity Tor such univer-
sal slaughter. |
WHY EVOLUTION IS DOUBTED.
A careful examination, however, OF the
opinions Of those who disfavor the evolu.
tion, theory will disclose one great cause
Of their opposition thereto. Including as
1t does man in the category Of evolved be.
ings, and pointing to his descent from
lower forms of animal lie, their pride Of
origin receives staggering blow, and they
imagine that consequences too dreadful
to contemplate are dimly hinted at. Ac-
customed as they are to regard themselves
as descended from primeval perfection,
habituated to consider themselves the ei.
fete degraded offspring Of original angelic |
purity, their feelings are too rudely |
shocked by the doctrine OF evolution to |
permit their reason calmly to contemplate
1t. They do not seem to reflect how
much nobler 1t Is for man to have
reached his present dignity and grand
eur from humber conditions than 10
have sunk lower and lower in the scale,
from former greatness. On the one hand
he has an unbounded future before him,
on the other an increased degradation,
which may finally reduce the race to that
animal condition, he now 80 much des.
pises. Progress proceeds In o geometrical
ratio, and the man OF today can form no
just conception Of the man OF the future.
Moreover one great cause OF aversion TO
our nearest allied animal species, the ape,
arises from a perception OF existing re.
semblance. The ape, with his semi:human
movements and anthropoid appearance,
awakens unpleasant suggestions which
find their expression In the use Of his
name to describe the imitation Of the &C.
tions Of superiors by their interiors. A
prominent minister Of this city told the
writer few weeks ago that he never saw
even stuffed ape without noting sort
Of human resemblance which always
brought tohis mind unpleasant sensations,
and that 1t was dislike to consider bin.
self descended even 80 remotely, from
such creature, that stimulated his oppo-
sition 10 Darwinism. can not do better
than quote in this connection from the
eminent French palaeontologist, N.
Broca: 's''- ''.i
"Like the Roman emperors, who, intox.
"icated by their power, at length regard.
"ed themselves as demigods, the ruler Of
tour planet believes that the brute ami.
"mal subjected to his will has nothing in
common with his own nature. The al.
"fnity Of the ape disturbs and humbles
"hlm; It Is not enough for him to be King
"oI animals, but he will also have 1t that
ian impossible gull separates him from
This subjects, and, turning bis back upon
"the earth, he flies with his threatened
majesty into the cloudy sphere Of spec.
dial "humAn kingdom" But snatomy,
"like those slaves who followed the con.
"querors car crying out Remember that
"thou art a Man" disturbs him In his
"sell admiration and reminds him Of that
visible and tangible reality, which unites
"him with the animal world"
WHICH IS THE BEST?
Which ofthe two theories Is most encour.
aging, which Is iraught with most promise
for the race. leave the impartial reader
to decide. Not that prospects have any