The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-10-07
A Large Audience Directs the Distin.
guished Lecturer.

So much had been said and written
about Bishop CARROTS lecture that
the curiosity of the citizens OF Dallas
had been considerably excited and In
consequence no one was surprised to
see the large audience that gathered at
Fields Hall night before last IL being
the occasion OF the much talked OF
event. Although the attendance was
llattering In the extreme to the rever'
ed gentleman, 1t would have undoubt-
eddy been much larger had 1t not oc-
Cured on the same evening that u
fashionable social event came of, and
owing to this, many persons were pre-
vented from attending who would 9TH
erwise have done 80. We understand
1t is the desire of these that the lecture
be repeated ut an early date and that
1t is their intention to make n suitable
request to this effect
The scenes at the back of the stage
were covered with drawings of various
kinds. We noticed "pecially Il map
showing geological sections Of the
earth's crust, another showing the
period ut which the different kinds OF
animals were introduced u beautiful
drawing OF the skull found in the
Engis cave at Liege; several crania
well executed in chalk; full length
skeletons of the gorilla and man, be-
sides many others.
The lecturer opened by an exposition
of the geological chart, in which the
different kinds of rocks, their origin
and order rs marked by their fossil re-
mains, were lucidly explained. Then
followed detailed account Of the four
great classes of living creatures, their
structure, and the periods at which
they severally appeared. Nine species
of creatures were thus shown to have
been cotemporaries-a fact fatal to the
theory under examination.
The audience were then led pleas
antly along to consider the influence of
time in etlecting change in living
beings. On this point drawing of u
negro face, taken from the Egyptian
monument, of date 400 years Be, bare
conclusive testimony that the original
of the drawing was no nearer to the
ape than the negro of the present. In
confederation Of the same point, the
Engis skull, supposed to be ten
thousand years old, did effective SER
vice. The facial lines of Camper were
then explained, and strikingly illus
trated by well executed drawings of
the orania Of the chimpansee, the
orang, tho negro, and the European.
Professor OVENS learned observations
upon the base of the skull were then
clearly expounded, and rendered evil
dent to observation by accurate draw
ings. The size of the ligomatic arch
and the position of the occipital fora
men bore forcible testimony to the
diverse origin and purpose OF the re-
spective heads. The researches of Nj.
M. Quatrefages and Gratiolet into
the inverse law by which the
growth of the Simian and human
brain Is governed, and the remarkable
antagonism in development as exhib-
tied by the sphenoid angles of Virchod,
were then wildly portrayed The po-
sition of the brain case relatively to
the jaws, the manifest function of the
brain In the one case to dominate ap-
petite, i'll the other to satisfy it, were
points which carried great weight. BY
this means man was shown to be an
animal who eat that he might live,
while the gorilla was plainly brute
who lived that he might eat. The
skeletons next claimed attention.
Their points of likeness were pointed
out, and their grave antagonism also
exhibited. The permanence of spe-
cies rs guarded by the universal steril-
ity of hybrids was forcibly shown.
The principle of natural selection
was next referred to. 1t was clearly
shown that II could but account for the
origin of anything. When once a spe-
cial advantage had been obtained
through the operation of some cause
adequate to its production, natural Sc
lection might possibly preserve the
fortunate possessor of that advantage.
But the question was not OF preseyyo-
ton but OF origin. The principle is
rested by Its author upon the doctrine
of chances. For in every case the spe-
cial advantage is obtained by some
happy partuity. But chance is un.
known throughout the universe. It
cannot therefore account for continu-
Gus improvement throughout indef-
mite ages.
Natural selection fails signally when
applied to man. Man could not have
been the yfttest to survive antecedently
to his discovery of the use of weapons.
A covering Of hair would be highly
useful to the Esquimaux; why has he
never acquired III Il less perfect foot
aud hand would have been best In
mans early conflicts with his lustial
ancestors who were probably arboreal
in their habits" Why did not natural
selection preserve them? Latent Gu
pacities of language and thought are
found to be characteristic of all saw.