New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-01-01
nr. Cuiieu Bsyant ou .nrs.lnisns

Almost tho last production from the pen
OF Agassiz was an article exposing the alb
s,rGItios 81 Darwiui,ln. Sir. Cullen BRYANT
the eminent poet, and the editor Of ihc New
York Eeenny Post. has recently dealt tbs
theory some equally telling blows. 1t ii
meeting Lot long ago .. the Aluuni Of " l.
liam College, Mr.. Bryant delivered L speech
in which Re incidentally referred to the doc
trine u: "devc!opment,' AID exhibited its
absolute want Of al support in uature, or the
natural history of axiUms. Beginning his
address by quoting the remark of the Eng
l.sh wit who declared that he never Eked to
look at monkey because it seemed sc u!lcil
like a poor relative, ho said that, according
to Darwin, mgu is HI improved mo..Aey. In
his system the lowest form &c animal lie is
:. minute au!mst5d cell. A nuinoer q! these
coils come casually together ard form a dab
Of jelly Fixed on crag il the ocean.
They somehow become arranged ia 2 SOFT
Of symmetry; they gradually acquire o.gans
they rise 20 the digu;ty OF oysters and mus
sells; they multiply; by principle OF seIec-
ton on the part OF the parents they rise
higher and higher in the scale OF being they
become quadrupeds they crawl upon the
land; they wsdd!e upon the shore in the
shape Of seals f; they build houses as beavers.
they climb trees as squirrels their talOns
aud paws become hands furnished with Gu
gers, and we have the monkeys; the monko y
acquires the faculty OF speech, and natures
into man. 1t is the old theory Monboddo
propounded a hundred years ago but spreads
over large surface, and set forth with new
illustrations.
But allowing all that it's author says Of the
consanyuinity Of man and the interior aui-
mails; admitted that we are OF the same flesh
and blood as the baboon and the rat, where
ddea he find his proof that We are improving
instead OF dcgenerating He claims that
man is an improved monkey; how does he
know that the monkey is not degenerate
man, decayed branch Of the human family,
fallen away from the high rank he once held,
and haunted by dim sentiment Of hi, old
dignity, as we may inter from his melancholy
| aspect? improvement, Mr. President aud
gentlemen. implies effort; it is up-hlIl work.
Degencracy IS easy; it asks only neglect,
iudoeree, inaction. How often do the de-
sceudants Of iustrious men become the most
stupid of the human race:
l might i.ntarco the Bourbon family !atel :
| reiyuing in Spain aud Naples mi hit III
| stabee the roy al family II Austria. There
is whole nation, millions upon III lions,
oar Chinese neighbours, Of whom the better
opinion is that they have been going back
ward in civilization from century to century.
Perhaps they wear the ligtai as al emblem
Of what they are all coming to some thOus-
ands Of years hence. How, then, CAN Mr.
Darwin insist that if we admit the near kin
bred &c man to the Inferior animals we mist
believe that our progress has been upward,
and tina: the noble animals are the progeny
OF tie iaferiore Is not the contrary more
rrob-ble? Is = not mere l,kelv that the
more easy road downward has been talyrD
that tbs lDxry AMI .Ials are derived fiUni snue
degenerate branch Of the huauau race. and
ths; II we 10 10. labor 10 keep The rank We
hold, or racc may Le .ri;tti sway Ito the
me.ner i-lbls q. ar:uals, alu i.i.a.iy .ato
an.malculs :: THEA may Tweeds become the
pTogenitors Of those skuikius thieves OF the
western w!'ds, the prairie wolves, Or may
swim stsgnant poo.s in the shape Of horse
ieeches Or a,tulc lawyers may be repre-.
secuted by foxes or great architects, by col
ouies Of beavers 10. pce;a, b clouds Of us
9uitoes, iaInlshe3 ana Musical; q doctors Of
dv1n-tg-I cay 1 With all resIe.i 81 TIC
c!oih-by s.sras o: tie nsan:is, u pal ing
insect, always in We attitude Of devotion.
II We hold % Darwin. ths5ry-a.! do not