Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-08-28

speech from Professor huxley.
BIS IMPRESSIONS OF THE UNITED STATES


AND THEIR PEoPLE
at the evesing session OF the A uerican
Association for the advance mentor Science,
Buffalo. N Y last evening. Prof Huxley
was introduced and received = very enthuSi-
Hsttc- reception. After thanking them for
their kindness, be said: "Siuca nv arrival
have learned a great maEy things. more, [
mink. Than ever before I'm al equal space OF
time In my life In Egg and we have always
taken lively Interest IL America; but I
think no Epglishmau WHO has 10, had the
good fortune To visit America has any real
conception OF the activity Of tue popu IatIoe
The enormous distances which separate the
great centers; and least or all do Fngllshren
understand how Identical is the great basis
OF character on both sides OF the Atlantic
An Enelishman with whom I have been
talking since my arrival says Il canno; md
thst am abroad Toe great features of
your country are all eucn as am familiar
with In parts OF England and Scotland
Your beautiful Hudson reminds me of a
Scotch lake. The MARKS OF giaceratiou in
your hills reminds me OF those 10 Scottish
highlands.
Il had heard OF the degeneration of your
stock from the English type. have rot
perceived IL. Some years d 20 one OF your
most distinguished men OF letters, equally
loved aDd admired In Englaud and Amer
tea, expressed an opinion whica touched
EI glish feeling somewhat keaoiy that
n ere was "a difference between Your women
and ours after reaching Certain age He
said our English women were 'heefy' Tnst
~ his wort, not mine. We'll. have stud 'sf
the aspect OF the people that / have met
snd meet with just the same faces, the
msin difference a. 10 the men being an tpa
way OF shaving. Though 1 should be sorry
To use the word which Hawthorne did, vet
In respect to stature for hue portly women
thin the average here fully as great as on
the other side. Some people talk OF the in
furious influence Of climate. have seen no
trace OF the North American type You
have among you the virtue which is most
potaole among ssvages, that OF hospitality.
You lake US 10 bountifIl dinner, and are
not quite satisfied unless we take away
Win US the plates and spoons. Another fes.
ture has Impressed itself upon me. 1 have
visited some OF your great universities aud
met men as well known In the old world as
In the new. i ind certain differences here.
Inc English universities are the product of
government, yours OF private muniicence
That among us Is almost unknown. The
general notion of an Englishmau when ne
gets rich is 70 found an estate and benefit
bis family. The general notion OF an Amer
lean, when fortunate, is To do something for
the good OF the people and from which bene.
fits shall continue 10 flow. The latter is the
nobler ambition.
cit is popularity said abroad that Won have
no antiquities in America. If you Ia about
tie trumpery OF three or four thousand years
OF history. 1t is true. But, In the large sense
as referring TO times before man made his
momentaTy appearance, America is the
place to study the antiquities OF the globe.
The reality OF the enormous amount or ma
terial here has far surpassed my anticipa.
tion: have studied the collection gathered
by Professor Marsh at New Haven. There
is none like IL In Europe, not only in extent
or time covered, but by reason OF It's bearing
on the problem OF evolution; whereas before
this collection was made evolution was q
matier OF speculative reasoning, IL is now a
matter OF fact and history as much az tne
monuments OF Egypt In that collection
are the fScts OF the succession OF forms and
the history of their evolution. All that now
remains 10 be asked is how, and that is a
subordinate question: