The New York herald., 1876-01-31
SCIENCE IN ENGLAND.
A REVIEW OF MIR. ooNwAY's LECTURE.

A REVIEW OF MR.. CoNwAY's LECTURE.
To EDITOR THE HERALD
The permanence OF truth and the unity Of Its advo-
Gates the harmony between true OF sci
ence and the adherents of every the Chris
tian Church when vital religious principles per-
verted by theories of the day. As Newton and La
Place Usher and the Benedictnes in their
labor of love for TRUTH the searchers after truth
now.
The manifest design of Mr. Conway in his late lecture
is present the relation Of the scientific cations
OF English evoluonists religious truth. The two
main points brought into view thcse:-The funda-
Of natural regionists, that there is per-
sonal Creator and the starting point Of Christians,
that the Scriptures of the Old and New Tesaments
the revealed word of that Creator.
The lecture Mr. Conways attractive rhetorical
grouping presents the method by which science at
ains truth and thrce applications OF this method
FIRST TO the discoveries Of deep buried skulls and
heads, which TO indicate the existence of
In ages extremely remote; second to the chronology
recorded in books Of Moses; and third, to the
theory of evolution developed in modern times by
Darwin Huxley and others.
The principle of tho true method in science is thus
developed. Alludng to the statement OF American
author that FIRST the Pope, then the Bible, and
Huxley and Darwin, have be regarded in
fallibe, he says "true Is simply actual and
proved knowledge" Every sincere seeker for truth
responds TO this statement ard must admit that sci
Is systemAtzed knowledge, that alone is to be
ocpted science which is actual and proved know-
edge" Prior however, to this definition If to hint
what is 'actual and proved knowledge" he quotes
Emersons last book" the effect that every general
zaon Is Isolated "until II has been adopted by the
imaginaton-until it has been made to harmonic with
what we already feel and know DO in their de-
science he thus statcs:Every such scientific general
ization may be translated into all the departments OF
thought into sooiety into life and religion" As
10 these statements It is manifest that all
the debatable ground in the discussion Of
the varied schools OF philosophy is still open
! for fresh review. The question to tho sources OF
knowledge comes FIRST whether II be simple testimony
the Senses Of general ideas, those OF space time
and inAnty, or Of recognized intuition, as those OF
cause, design and originating personal mind Then,
again. the legitimate sphere OF the magnaton as ro
/ Gently discussed by Faraday, Tynual. JevOns and
others Is mcoted: whether il be mental suggestion,
like that OF Newton as to gravity, which he himself
verified by mathematical calculation OF the conception
Of the poetical mind which changes form with every
new personal advance in knowledge in speculation
Then, yet more the distinction between what VIC "ioel
ane Aho" 70 DC True out reViVcs the Whole question
Of the criterion Of truth in individual consciousness de-
baed so sharply since the days OF Democritus Into
none OF these discussions does Mr, Conway enter. II
is therefore, only introduction the applications
OF his principle which calls for attention in THIS review
The hrst OF these intimated, is the testimony OF
deep buried skulls and human implements OF a rudo
as indicating the high antiquity Of man. As 10 the
I skulls. Mr. Conway ls how in every test case
such Agassz have shown that the existence Of
cartilage, not 10 say OF rapidly decaying mat
ter positively indicates entombmcnt comparatively
recent: while negatively the fncing OF skeleton OF a
mastodon and OF man among the bowlders in an OBJ
scure cave does not prove that the bowdcr not
washed into It's resting place In ono geological age,
that the maetodon crawlcd there at later period and
that some soldier. wounded in battle AZ some late
historic period laid down TO die among previous oc.
cupauts
Mr. Conway must be aware when titled explo-
rcrs like SIR John Lubbock, have reported arrow
heads buried under peat beds and gravel heaps formed
\ BY mountain streams. how apparent TO an ordinary
American observer the calculation as % ages
required for their formation. The premise drawn from
\ the Of the Swiss farmer who has seen the
peat grow scarcely inch for generations IS reliable
since be knows nothing OF the former forest whose
leaves formed the bed But the American "a ms forest
home asks, "How could the birch stumps. which de-
cay rapidly when uncovered have bocn preserved u
the peat had grown rapidly under the forests that
/ covered Switzerland when CGsar made his campaign"