Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-09-23
HUXLEY.
His Lectures ON the 'Direct Evidence
of Evolution Create Great Stir
in New York.
New York Tribu2e.1

New York Tribucel
Within, every seat seemed to be taken
before the lecture BEGAN and the fe W vacancies
we're filed in the first ten minutes afteIw ard,
and wall flowers" were packed standing be-
hind the seats. The bali was full of familiar
faces; of men eminent in tt @ learned profess
sions: Of New Yol ks best society. PuncJusl
to the very minute Professor Huxley came
forward upon the platform, and was, of
course, z; ee ed with abundant applause. ne
laid copy OF Milton's Paradtse Lost upon the
reading desk; nothing else, neither manu-
script or notes. he leaned forward slightly
over the desk, and began speaking in meas
urei words and with low tone of voice. Ex-
cept sometimes TO grasp the desk with both
hands and lean over it more intently, he did
not vary his position or MAKE use of gestures
during the lecture.
New York Tribune, Editorial.1
Nothing in the lecture was more a6roit
count of the creation, not by that name, but
as the Miltonic theory; and the professors
explanation Of his reason for a opting that
nomenclature, though couched In the seVerest
and precisest of scientific terms nrOvoked
great amusement. In clearness of statement
and arrangement the lecture was absolutely
insist that as an argument profes .edly sweep
ing away the whole Mosaic account of the
creation, 1t generaliZsd on insufficient data.
The real development OF the evolution theory
isato follow in the succeeding lectures.
New York Herald, EDITORIAL
TIE appearance OF this eminent nstu.
ra list is a little disappointing to those who
knew him only by reputation and through his
wocks. Instead OF the sturdy, scientific
BOanerges which his writings would pre- figure
there comes forward on the platform, greeted
by a general clapping of hands in token OF
admitting welcome, an elderly gentleman OF
medium hight, with the stoop of an habituaI
hard student and a step which indicates want
of muscular firmneSS-a man, in short, whose
mind has overtaxed his body. His face is
good, halr dark brown, unspr mixed with
signs OF approaching white; beard gray con-
sisJing only of side whiskers OF the English
cut; brow ample, but not immense; nose
pointed and projec ing, and bis general air
and adore more like that of a not very well
fed evangelical clergyman than Of 8 strenuous
intelle ctual athlete who IS shaking the oil be-
liefs Of two continents. In mere m amer he
Is not so pleasing as Professor TyndaIl, the
ENGLISH scientist, with whom we most natu
rally compare him after having had the plea
sure OF listening to both. TyndalI has q
stronger and clearer vo:eo and an easy erect
ness of bearing which we miss in Huxley who,
bent forward restingly upon 8 small reading
{ esk, as IL for sup2ori, during the greater part
of his lecture, whereas Tyndan mad no such
circumference, spoke entirely without notes
and mad the art of putting nimself in more
com plete sympathy with his audience. Pro.
fessor Huxley is so absorbed in his subject
that he does not carry along in his conscious
ness perpetual feeling of the attitude of the
listent rs who hang upon his lips. He hsu be-
hind him, stretched on frame, q geological
chart to which he frequently pointed for IL
lustration, apparently not observing that a
blackboard almost half It's size (cf which he
made use) had been placed almost directly In
front of the chart, concealing it from the
greater part of the audience. Professor Tyn-
dali, who gave series of brilliant and sur
prising experiments, was so careful in all his
arrangements that everybody present had an
unobstructed view o. ali that was done, 1T Is
tuo early to speak in detail of Professor Hux-
US main thesis, as this lecture wss merely
Introductory and touched on no science but
that OF geology, whose doctrines are univer-
sally accepted by well informed people. There
was q stroke o. courteous fneSse in
his describing the Mosaic account
OF the creation as the "Miltonic hypothesis" I"
and reading from the seventh book OF
Pqr0diSe Lost to show what the hypothesis
icacy of refuting Milton rather than Moses
would have been better Telished for its dex-
ferrous fineness If he had not atterward re-
CURED to the point and explained at some
length his reasons for setting himself in oppo-
sitiOn to the verse of Milton rather Than
against the prose of tde first chapter of Gene.
sis, which Milton followed with almost literal
closeness. The chief reason was that the bib
ltcal account has been variously interpreted.
Thsre was strong tinge of sarcasm in his
profession of humility in not presuming to
have an opinion as to its meal ing. winding
up with q hit at the puZZling fieXibllity OF
lanF ia 2e which Is susceptible of such widely
different construction. The delicate Jtnesse of
refuting dillon " ould have been more "cute"
and pleasing IL he had made no reference TO
the bible at all. Each succeeding IL cture will
bs more exciting than the first, because he
will tread further and further on debatable
ground, especially wien he comes to treat of
the DarwiDian theory of the descent OF man.
Professor Huxley is furnishing a stimulating
intellectual repRst which few Intellectual
people in the city will be willing TO miss