New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-09-19

be given up absou te,y devoid OF any circumstan
tial evidence. -
little time ago a statement Of the and substance
of Millions hypothesis Let me try now TO put ne.
fore you in few words the sum and substance OF
the crcumstantial evidence as 10 the past MS MS
tory of the earth which ia written without the
possibility of mistake, with 10 chance OF
error in the stratihcd rocks What we
resents a period of time Of which our human
chronoloies hardly afford Us a unit OF measure.
will not pretend to say how we ought 10 measure
this time, in millions or IN billions OF wears. nIP-
ply for my purpose and my argument, that IS wholly
iIncssental But that the time was enormous, was
vast, there is 10 sort OF question. ,,,;,,
We find written upon ths record, ana as resulting
from the simplest methods OF interpretation, the
conviction that all that is now dry land has once
bcea at the bottom of the waters. III leave
out of view certain patches OF mstamoif,
phosed rocks, certain volcanic products, It
Is perfectly certain that at eeoMparatIv .ea,
recent period of the worlds history that
epoch which is there written as the cretaceous epOc1
it is perfectly certain that at that time none VI
the great physical features which at present marx
the surface of the globe existed lt u certah tiit
the Rocky Mountain were not. 1t Is certain mat
the Himaaya Mountains were not. III IL eertaih
that the Alps and the Pyrenees ad no
Tho evidence OF the simplest possible character rs
simply this: We find raised up on the cIass vi Ineo
mountains, elevated By the forces OF upheayai
which have gwen rise to them, masses OF
rock which formed the bottom OF the sea Beiore
those mountains existed 1t is therefore perfectly
clear that the elementary forces WHEN gave TIC
IL.
cretaceous epoch that the mountains thenlsei'es
are largely made up of the materials dep3slttd ~
the which once occupied their piaGc. W. neo &c
as we go back in time with constant altefhaIionS Vi
sea and land, of estuary and open ocean, anu IN CoI
respondence with these alterations we meet WIN
changes in the fauna and flora Oh the KIM nave
stated. ,... IL, 80,
inspection of these changes gives us the Silgn.eSt
rIrht TO believe that there has been any di,coti-
nuity in natural processes There Is no trace Oh ctc
chisn of great sweeping deluge, Of sudden destrIe-
ton of orgo life iGs APPEARANCES PPst %ay haye
All been shown to be deluslye as our
knowledge has increased and as the blanks
between the different formations have been filled
up liz can now be shown that there is no absolute
break between formation and formation, that there
has been sudden disappearance OF all Inc iolS Oh
that everything has gone slowly and gradually,
that one form Has died out and ahOther mas
taken it's place, aud that thus by slow
degrees one fauna has been replaced by another 80
that within the whole of the immense period lnd-
Gated by these stTated rocks, there Is assuTedly-
leaving evolution out OF the question htogethel-
not the slightest trace of any break the uniformity
of natures operations not shadow OF indication
that events have followed other than their natural
aud orderly sequence.
crcunstantial evidence contained in the Strained
rock leave you 10 consider how far by any m
genuity Of interpretation, by any stretching oil the
meaning Of language, 10 can be brought INTO the
smallest similarity with that view which have put
before you IA the MiltOnc doctrine.
There remains Jnt tlllN uSpOtlCSlS-NHdt hd'O
spoken of as the hypothesis of evolution and pro-
pose that in lectures 10 come We should consider
that ms carefully az we have considered the other
two hypothesis. | need not say that It ia quite
hopeless to look for testimonial evidence OF
evolution. The very nature OF the case
pTecludCs the possibility of such evidence.
Our important inquiry ls what founda-
ton circunstantal evidence lends TO that hypOthe-
SIS OF whether 10 lends any, whether II cOntro-
yerts il and should deal with the matter entirely
rs a question of history. j should not indulge IN
the discussion of any speculative probabilities,
should not al tempt 20 show that nature Is unlntcll-
Viblc unless We adopt some such hypOthcss-for any
hing know about il, IL Is the nature of Nature She
has often been puzzng, and / have no reason to
suppose she is bound to fit herself to our notions;
but | shall deal with the matter entirely IRON the
point of view Of history, and / shall place before
YOU three kinds of evidence entirely based upon
what we know of the forms of animal hie
which are contained in the series OF stratlhed
rock. ! shall ondcavor 10 show you that
there IL one kind Of evidence which IL neutral which
neither helps evolution nor is inconsistent with IT,
shall then eudcayOr to show you that there is O
second kind of evidence which indicates strong
probability in favor Of evolution, but does not
prove it, and, lastly shall endeayor 10
show that there is third kind Of evidence
which being complete as any evidence when
we can hope to obtain upon such subject, ana De-
ing wholly and entirely in favor of evolution. may
be fairly called demOnstratye evidence OF Its having
occurred.
But these matters. ladies and gentlemen, pro-
pose 10 deal with in the next two lectures,
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