New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-13
An Interview with Huxley.


Faith must find the better life.
March 10. 1876.
An Interview with Huxley.
Professor Huxley, the English scientist,
is spending = day or two at the pleasant
| residence of Mr.. George Appleton, his
friend and publisher in this country, at
Riverdale. Last evening the writer found
| opportunity to engage him in conversation
| az he sat on the cool piazza after dinner,
| looking admiringly at the abrupt Palisades
| opposite and the succession of line North
| river steamers just starting for various
| towns on the upper Hudson He is man
| not above the medium size, with gray tinged
hair and tufts Of side whiskers. His fea,
| lures are we'll, even sharply, defined and
| regular. His head is large, and with the
closely trimmed hair gave an impression Of
| squareness. His manner was affsble and
| sincere. Whatever else he may be, he is
| evidently an honest man, without guile or
| subterfuge. He said that since his arrival
in this country On Saturday he had not
been struck by differences from English sp-
pearances and manners, but rather by SINH
iaritiee to them. When the word agn0sti;
was mentioned he laughed and said that it
was q term that he had himself invented
several years ago; land now" he added,
''the religionists call ne all sgnostics" OF
course he informed his visitor there was NO
organization so-cailed. He was asked about
the probable result of the recent intense &C.
tivity of the popular mind in regard to 1t
tempted scientific solutions of biological
questions. and whether the problems engsg.
ing the attention of scientific men to day
were not more important than those of any
other period. He said it was undoubtedly
Q great advantage that men were led to
think on such matters, but he hesitated to
express his ideas ON them in casual con.
versation, knowing that they would be
published. He gave substantially the
same answer to question touching the
alleged conflict between science and reli-
gion. He however, was OF the opinion that
the discrediting of the creed of any nation
or race did not necessarily result in the de-
cline of its civilization. At this point Pro-
fessor Huxley succeeded in getting the lead
in the questions, and began to interview
the Graphic representative. He asked his
opinion first rs to which Of the great par
ties would probably win in the present
presidential conflict. On being told, he re-
ton to have conservative agricultural
population of small landowners. In Eng.
land the rural population was densely ig-
norant, because it was not interested in the
soil which it cultivated. Then he asked
what kind Of q man Governor Tilden was.
His visitor told him, and after one
or two special questions about him
and general politics he shook his
head with q depre eating smile and said
he was afraid that when he went home he
would still be of opinion that England was
q better republic than America. He sup
posed that the next great question that
would come up would relate to the tariff,
and would divide the East from the West.
wait" said he, until You have popula.
ton of 100000. You haven't had great
test Of your strength yet. Wait until you
have a vast ignorant vote to deal with"
Nevertheless, he thought the slavery ques-
ton wss one of very great difficulty. He re-
marked upon this several times, but did not
attempt to analyze it. He was not opposed
to strikers. He thought it could not be of
advantage to any nation to have Q great
portion Of its people oppressed by extreme
poverty. Yet he acknowledged that the
effect of striking might be the overthrow of
England's commercial supremacy. The
America to undersell Manchester. His
thought appeared to be that it was better
for the world that men should combine for
self-protection, though it might be bad for
the merchants and manufacturers of par
ticular country. The nobility, he said,
were often referred to, both in this country
and in England, AZ an effete and worthless
class. This was not the truth. They were
men generally of intelligence, and az class
they never could be bought They now
constituted an invaluable safeguard in the
State against the merchant class.
The conversation again reverting to
scientific subjects, Professor Huxley said it
was undoubtedly of advantage that the
scientific awakening had broadened the
field from which students and investigators
might arise, yet he did not like General
Won Moltke's criticism on the West Point
Military Academy-that practically it mar
rOwed the field for the selection of Generals
to the few hundred graduates, while to get
the best General it was necessary to have
the whole nation to select from. He said
that one would not advocate the selection
OF chief surgeon from the people, instead
of taking one from among the graduates of
some medical college, and yet study and
special knowledge we're just as much
needed in generalship as in surgery. Won
Moltke's criticism, he thought presupposed
that Won MOltks was to be there to make
the selections tor Generals.
question was asked whether the doc
trine of evolution was, in Professor Hux-
ley's opinion, still an open question, or
whether he regarded it as proved. He said
that he was going to deliver lecture on
that subject, in which he should endeavor
to lay down carefully and clearly all the
evidence touching evolution, so that people
can form their own judgments, or at least
have all the known facts before them. II
shall endeavor to present all the points
That" he added, lis q mans only true re-
lstion to the public" Again, when he was
asked whether he thought the final cell lin
order of discovery would be proved to be
OF chemical production, he said he held his
mind in a state of suspension, "Some
things, he explained, 1--WE do not know.
and it Is very important that when man
does not know thing that he shall confess
it. 1t is one fault l find with the churches.
that they pretend to settle every Question"
Nearly One-thi-d of the seats in Chicken
ing Hall are already engaged for the three
lectures to be delivered there lust before he |
returns to England. Passage has already
been engaged for him, at his request. Nv
Mr.. Appleton. He will sail on the Celtic
september 70 Mr.. Appleton says he has |
received letters from Canada, Minnesota.
Texas, and other distant places containing
requests for season tickets. A question |
contained in many of the letters is whether |
The lectures will be given before the Cen |
tennlal Exhibition closes. If they are, the |
writer's say, they will postpone their in |
visits to Philadelphis until q time |
When they can, on the same trip, attend the |
ectures: Tomorrow he will start on q visit |
. Yale College. Then he will visit Niagara |
Fails. Thence, after q weeks stay, he will /
proceed to Chicago and other points in the /
West.-NeS York Graphic.