The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-03-14
For the Ottawa Free Trader.
THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN.

MEssRs. EDIToRs:-We are afraid Of be
coming tedious on the subject of the antiqui
ty of man, and well know that you prefer
articles that are fresh, short and well con
densed for your columns but would ask the
favor of short space to comment briefly OF
the article by A. c., which appeared in your
issue of February 2Sth. The idea of mans
high antiquity is evidently very disagrceablo
| to him. We, on the contrary are anxious
to ascertain the truth and will not struggle
merely for victory. Only let Truth triumph
and we a:e satisfied. But our critic a. c.,
wltully persists in his erroneous proposes
sions, and 1t seems precludes himself the
privilege of changing his opinions, even
when he has the best reasons for doing so.
We purpose to expose his unfarness by the
bringing to light piece of artitice, which
our critic has been shrewdly practicing TO
make false impressions and keep up the long
ago expelled deusion of mans low antiquity.
His trick has all along been to quote from the
early writings and old editions Of Sir Chas
Lyell, dlJMiy uniting to name tie edition lie
quotes from, and entirely ignoring his latest
works and editions, and by this concealment
and deception and by presuming upon the
ignorance OF your readers has tried to make
the most false impressions. The "Prncipes
of Geology which he quotes from was pub,
lishcd in 1884, just forty gears ego. Wequote
from Antiquity Of Man, I'd edition 1871,
and 4lh edition 1873, And so far from Sir
Chas Lyell's reproducing,in these late works,
one word of argument in favor Of mans ex'
tremely modern origin" as our INSCRIPTIONS
A. c. falsely represents, he says in preface to
to 4th edition, Antiquity Of Man, 1873: This
work has long been called for. have been
able to make many very important additions
to the daily accommodating proofs Of mans
high antiquity" Also in 4th American edi-
ton, 1878, page go, speaking of the presence
OF bones and flint instruments in more than
forty caves explored by that interchangeable and
distinguished anatomist and geologist, DR.
Schmerling, of Belgium, he remarks, "none
of them could have been subsequently intro
duced, being precisely in the same position
as the remains of the extinct mammalians, the
mastodon, mammoth, &c. Also in I'd Amer
lean edition, 1871, page 90, he remarks: "But
of late gears we have obtained convincing
proofs that the mammoth and many extinct
mammalia occur in undsturbed alluvium,
embedded in such manner with the works
of art, as 10 ledCe no room for d0,bt that man
and mammoth co-eristed. Such discoveries
have led me and other biologists to reconsider
the evidences brought forward in proof of the
high antiquity of man" Now it requires 10
small share of cfirontcry in A. G. to quote
from the edriy tc0rkS and Old eaittoHS of Sir
ti0R, and ignoring altogether his many re-
visions and the new matter introduced in
subsequent works and editions which bring
them up to the present state of knowledge.
covered A. C.'s miserable shams, we com
mend to his perusal, and that of your readers,
the latest works aud editions OF Sir Chas
Lycll's works on this subject, 10 be sure and
And before they got through even the preface,
they will sec that A. c. has grossly misrcpre
scented his views; as there is not a sentence
or word within the covers of these books in
favor of mans recent origin. But instead, a
collection of ably sustained facts and argu-
ments that it would be impossible to contro.
vert, or resist in proof Of the extremely remote
antiquity IF roce and which will prove to
your readers more thoroughly than we can
by a few quotations, that \. c. breads the
light and is guilty Of a stupcndous fraud, for
which he will pay severe penalty if he values
his reputation for honesty as mucn as he
wishes to be thought man science.
Ottawa, H., March 9th, 1874. II. B.