The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-03-28
Ghe1ntetIigstter:
DARwINIsM AND EVOLUTION.

tfaSted with the Thcory OF Spectt
Creation.
Second understanding the general action
Evolution throughout Nature
Editors Of the IutellGen:er:
There are two errors which have ex
istCd in the minds Of the human rae
commencing with the time when man b.
gan first TO observe the phenomena con
stantly occurring around him, whic
more perhaps than any others have serve
to impede its intellectual progress. Thee
have been termed the geOcentrtc and III
dnM0pOcentr1c theories.
THR GRoCENTRIC ERROR.
BY the first Of these the earth wa
placed In the centre Of the universe, AM
the sun, the planets, and the fixed stars
were made 10 reyolye around Il. Thi
was the basis Of the old Ptolemaic system
81 astronomy, and was dIspelled by thu
Investigations and discoveries q Copper
nicus, Kepler, Newton and Others. Ye
At one time 1t was universally believed
and its destruction was supposed 10 in.
VOlVO the humiliation Of religion, and thI
production Of a moral chaos. when
says modern writer, "the sun was finally
placed In the centre Of the heavens, in.
stead Of the earth; when people began t
realize the fact that we live In wretchet
little atom OF planet dancing about thC
sun, Instead OF being the whole universe
with q few stars 10 save candle-light, TIT
ancient orthodoxy was shaken TO its base
1t is impossible 10 read the controversies
which marked the great intellectual re-
Volt OF the last century without seeing
how much mems minds were influenced
BY the simple consideration that Chris.
tians were small numerical minority Of
the human race, and the hahitation OF the
race mere grain Of dust In the universe.
The facts were more or less known before,
and were not capable Of furnishing syllo-
glsms absolutely incompatible with any
orthodox dogma, and yet the mere change
in the point Of view, working rather upon
the Imagination than the reason, gradual.
y made the old positions untGnable. I"
The change thus produced in men'sviews,
however, was Nt the most beneficial char
acter. It's effect was TO greatly modify the
current mode Of thinking, and to grad
ually remove the obstacles to future pro-
gress In knowledge which theology had
previously interposed.
THE ANTHRoPoCRNTRI ERROR.
The other theory which has done much
10 retard the advance Of scientific lnfor-
nation, is the belief that man is the grand
ultimatum Of the universe that for his
purposes, convenience and pleasure, all
else was created. He Is so accustomed to
regard himself as monarch Of all he
surveys" that he even supposes Deity 10
be kind Of localized man. AS Goethe
has expressed it, MAN Is a true Narcis-
sus; hC delights 10 see his own image
everywhere, and he spreads himself un-
derneath the universe like the amalgam
behind the glass" Astronomy has done
much In modern times to weaken this
idea, but the notion still generally pre-
walls that man Is q being exclusively sui
gsnertS. who was brought into existence
At single bound perfect and angelic, by
n special act OF Divine creation. To re.
move this second impeachment 10 the pro-
gress Of intellect, will be the duty OF tue
doctrine OF evolution.
WHAT IS EVOLUTION?
This may be briefly described as 1.-THE
substitution OF q belief in gradual evolu-
ton, Tor belief In spssmodic action and
occasional outbursts OF creative energy
IS the acceptance Of the cOrOllary that we
must seek Tor tho explanations Ct facts or
ideas by tracing their history, instead OF
accounting for them by some short a pri0rI
method and thus, as the adoption Of the
historical method, in all manner Of in
yestigations into social, political, and re.
ligious problems, which were formerly
solved by much more summary il no!
more satisfactory process" A recent
writer in the LEICESTER has very pertinently
shown that the Bible Is not tho book TO
which We should refer for explanations
concerning subjects which properly be.
long 10 the domain of science only. That
venerable volume relies mainly for proofs
OF its Divine origin, upon whatits defend.
ers consider 10 be its internal evidence.
But this internal evidence is weakened
whenever it conflicts with facts, 10 lust
the exact extent Of such conflict, and
hence its credibility depending upon It's
agreement with the phenomena Of the
inverse, any attempt to correct or modify
them by ScripturSl interpretations, Isl
simply TO beg the whole question. The
fundamental conception OF the doctrine
o. evolution, Is, "that the universe and
all that It contains did not come into ex.
stenCe in the condition that we now
snow It, nor In anything like that con-
lition. Il implies that the heavens as
hey appear above US, the earth as 1t ex-
SITS beneath US, the hosts Of living crea-
ures that occupy it, and humanity as we
now know II, are merely the final terms
10 an immense series Of changes, which
have been brought about in the course
d immeasurable time. II afflrms vast
'hsngesg In past periods; that these
'hangeshave been according 10 a method,
and that this method has been OF the ma
ure Of an unfolding. The essential
changes oil evolution have been compre-
lensibly formulated as from the simple
10 the complex, from the homogeneous TO
Ihe heterogeneous, from the general TO the
,Pscial"
EVOLUTION TMPLIEs AN EyoLyRR.
This doctrine does not require the en-
pIoyment or invention Of unknown or
lnthlnkable agencies in order't to effect It's |
results, but simply brings into play such
lorccs and actions as we know to be ex.
lstsnt, and whose operation Is witnessed
every day. Yet it does not claim to be
an theological account Of tho phenom.
cna Of the universe. Modern men I'D
science do not attempt explanations OIL
whatthey regard as ultimate facts When a
TACT Ia said 10 be known, 1t is merely meant
that certain relations and resemblances are
perceived to exist between It's phenomena
and those sscrlbed 10 other facts, with
which, therefore, It Is classified. II Is the
e;ndeavor, then, TO reduce these classes to
The smallest number Of groups posi-
Die, and when this Is done the embraced
lacts are scientifically known. l will here
quote Mr. Herbert Spencer: "This throws
no light on the origin of difuSed matter;
anu diIfuBed matter M mnch Taa6a az