New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-09-16
EVIDENCES OF EVOLUTION.
SCIENCE AND GENESIS.


THE TWO ACCOUNTS or CREATION COMPARED
WHEREIN THEY coRRgspoND-PHYsIcMs SCIENCE
DEPENDENT on TUE TRUTH OF THE MOSAIC
REcosp-A SUGGESTION TO PROF. HUXLEY.
70 Use EDITOR OF The Tribune.
SIR: The papers announce that Prof. Huxley VIII
soon deliver three lectures on THE Positive Evil
dcnces Of Evolution" Few deny that there has
been an evolution What is desired is Information
az 10 it's cause and character. That the present IS
tho child of the past, that the living spejes arc az
least the successors of those whose remains are
found in the rocks, will scarcely DO Questioned
But how and why this series commenced, and why
from the lowest molusk the series has reached its
present development. are problems of tho deepest
interest Prof Huxley, if l correctly apprehend
him. secs reasons for the belief that back OF all "
Great FIRST cause. G. God, who in the beginning
created the heavens and the earth, and endowed
matter with certain potentialites which have ever
since zone on without His interference, aud from
Them as plant from a seed, have grown thepresent
animals and plants and all the socalled adaptations
OF nature to their needs. Others see with MN
be0inping in the will of God, and an endowment
with forces acting according to law, but tho chang
ing from the formless nebula to the symmetry oil
solar system. the developing the molten lava ana
tho glowing vapors into continents and oceans the
metamorphosis of rock, water, and caIDonic seld
into plants and animals the developing or these nto
families genera and Species and the beauty order
and method that mark them-these and many cther
things appear to them to indicate the active viii OF
some intelligent being. Instead OF likening the pro
oe,s TO the growth of plant from a Seed they COM
pare it with the development of garden from
prairie, which mere law and natural forces are
unable to bring about A great deal of misappre-
hension has arisen from an imperfect knowledge OF
the pact II we knew all the facts we should be an
n better position to form n correct opinion. am
sure that all would join with in the wish tina
Prof Huxley would give MS an abstract OF what Is
known of the aute-humGn history Of our globe In
tho nature Of the case It would touch upOn the most
salient points alone and should treat only OF those
physical matters Us to which there IS 40 longer any
doubt In other words, he should avoid theories ana
explanations and state bare facts. 1t would not Do
too much to ask him 10 clothe his account IN simple
language that those not yersed in science may I'M
deTstsndit.
Perhaps the greatest interest in such work would
arise from the desire to compare it with another doc
ument which purports also to relate the antahuman
history of our globe This is found in the first ~
verses Of Genesis and IL true casts much light upon
tho cause and character Of the revolution" which
has taken place am well aware of the place which
this story holds in the estimation Of Prof. Huxley
and his school With all due respect for their scen-
ti6o aeauiroments I cannot believe that 1t Is the
myth they deem IT, because-to say nothing oil othef
reasons-the successful denial OF its pbyseal State
rnents taken In their simplest and most literal sense
carries with IL the science which they base ther
objections This will appear If we ay the progressive
steps in the development Of world rs physicists
have made them known, side by side with the state
uonta in the Mosaic record. If there can DO shown
~ he ah.olute identity Of the two. thon l submit
tba, my proposition is established Whether Moses
wrote the account, or whether he obtained 1t from
some older writer, shall not stop to inquire III Is
not the authorship but the truth OF the story about
Which am now concerned. Nor Is it of any eonse-
ouspce in this connection whether the writer under
stood fully his own wor,is. have no idea that he
did Moreover to avoid all side issues mere et me
say that ss this narrative antedates the rest OF tho
Bble propose TO test its truthfnlness without ref
crence 10 ANYTHING pse The question Is solely as TO
the truth or fasehood Of the physical statements IN
tbs first 81 yerseS When that Is settled II VIII Dc
in order to take up what u recorded htfrMaIu. !
con6ne myself h this because these verses are Occu-
MED exclusively with events which Occnrre' III they
occurred at all. before man appeared anu Sohse-
oueutly cannot DC mere record OF some man 90,
seryations / think Prof Huxley viii admit ~ that
tbe story il responsible only tor its own words; w
that eaSb phrase should be taken in its simplest
sense j3 that III case our version d1irrs nom me
Ushru the latter should be followed; ~ thaJ m no
ca,e il The narrative responsible Tor what ~ hot III
H. ~ the coujrctuTes Of commentators OF othtI az
To- What the story meant. did not mean are OF no
suthority against its own words. NIth these ~
lew 1 win row coilate the two records lou VIII
pardon Inc II copy frJm usBelf, in Tho Miracle
OF To-day"