The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-11-23
NIB. HUXLEY'S VISIT,

We quote portion of DR.. Hollands editorial
on this subject In SCRIBNER for December.
We are not among those who dopre-
Gated Nj. Huxley's late visit to America,
and certainly moi among those who re-
greet that he came. There was an in
lefinabIe dread of the man among many
religious circles, as if he were not only
an enemy, but very powerful enemy,
who was pretty sure TO do mischief.
The result, we are sure, not Ouly dsap-
pointed them, but failed to give the
expected support TO those who have
been inclined to favor the Darwinian
hypothesis. The first lecture Introduced
a trick quite unworthy fearless man
Of science, viz, hat Of making Milton
bear the onus cf Mosaic account OF the
Creation To whip the Bible apund
the shoulders Of the great poet, and as
sumo to fight man, when, in truth, be
intended to fight what all believers
agree in regarding as sacred book and
most Of them as an inspired and authori-
tstive book, was not pretty or manly
thing TO do It vas cunning TCFfor~
nance, we admit, but it was the per
Torrance OF petifogger and detracted
very materially from the popular respect
which had been accorded to the man
and his utteTances.
It is to be presumed that Mr.. OAR
wins principal apostle would present his
facts and his arguments in the most con-
vincins way possible to him. He took
three evenings for the task, and had the
field all TO himself; but We do not hesl-
tate to say that he failed in the demon
strative evidence" offered in bis closing
lecture tn fulfill the promises made IN
the first two. Had he demonstrated the
souDdness OF his theory, people would
have believed in it. That the NEST Of
them did not, ought TO be regarded by
| Mr. Huxley as worthy, &C
least, Of his consideration-'hat his
demnnstrative evidence. demonstrated
nothiDa. For, let it be remembered,
the religious mind Of the country is not
as much afraid Of the theory of evolution
as IL was, and IS not proof against con-
vietien, as it might once have been. It
has apprehended and accepted the tact
that it takes as great q power to origin
/ ate an order Of beings through evolution
as by direct act Of creation, and that
to bind up all the possibilities and po-
tencies of iife in protoplasmic massSs, or
ascidian cells, is as marked an exhibition
of Almightinesg and infinite ingenuity
as it would be to speak into existence
the perfacted creatures which we know,
and which we are.
! We do not hesitate 10 say that the
audiences which assembled to listen to
Mr.. Huxley were tractable audiences.
They We're not only tractable, but they
we're capable. They were fully
adequate to the understanding Of his
theory, and the weighing Of his evil
dence and arguments; and We have yet
to learn that be largely, or even ap.
probably, Increased the number of his
disciples. Men went away telling that,
after all, the theory of evolution was
lnothing but a theory-that it is stil SO
so much an hypothesis that it can lag no
valid claim to place in science. Ger
tainly, Mr.. Huxley shook no souhdly
! reasoning mans belief in God ss tie
author of all life. in the beginning,
God created the heaven and the earsh .
When that beginning was,--hcw many
ages thst beginning covered, --pobodv
preteuds at this day to know Every
body knows, however, that a stream can
rise no higher than its fountain. 1.-THE
conduits and receptacles into which that
stream has been poured are capable of
IretainjDg it, and incapable Of conduct
ing it further, it may not rise So high
It seems to US repugnant to human rea-
sonthat low form of life. uniformed bv
Il higher life, has the power to evolve a
i form of life higher than itself. There
is not an analogy Of nature which does
not initiate against such conclusion.
There are none OF the lessons of science
which do not lead directly away from it
4 God may work toward creative ends
Through processes of evolution, or be
may not. A horse may have beer
derived from three-toed alimal one 81
Whose toe-nails spread into a hoof with
Its wonderful talsus and metatarus ar
he may not. A man may have 'des-
cended, or assembled, from monkey. OF
4 he may have been created by "a divine
fiat. It matters very little, SO lopo as
| God is recognized as the author of life
and the designer Of its multitudinous
forms.