Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-06-23
SCIENCE GAGGED IN NASHVILLE.

Under the above heading a communication
appeared in the Nashville American, of Sun
day last, which merits attention. 1t is writ
ten by Prof A. Wlnchell, of Ann Arbor,
Michigan, gentleman whose standing and
requirements give weight to his statements
such as cannot be sighted. The professor
was scientific lecturer at the Vanderbilt uni
versity, at Nashville. That lectureship, 1t
appears from the professors statement has
been abolished for the purpose of silencing
him, and, he says, ''the action of the board
of trust is dismissal from office on account
of heresy. This heresy consists in holding,
with the great body of scientific men, that a
method of evolution has obtained in the his
tory of the world, but not in holding that
man is the product of evolution" The NOV
ing cause of the dismissal was the publica-
ton of the professors Addmites and Pre-
AdaD,ites, in which the opinion is expressed
that perhaps the black race preceded on the
earth the white and brown races. The work
claims that idea to be scriptural, and it Is
we'll known that some early christian writers,
as well as many others since the reformation,
have understood the early portion of Genesis
to teach that men were living on the earth
before Adams day, as 1t most prob
ably does. The professor claims that
at the Nashville university he has
always avoided the'utterance of opinions sup
posed to be disapproved by the officers of the
university Before the action of the board
was taken Bishop M'Tyelre informed Prof.
Wiuchell that ''our people" do not like the
positions taken in his essay, and they object
to evolution. The professor pointed out that
his essay took no position not generally re-
ceived, except as to the races, and the bishop
replied that ''our people" objected to his
views as contrary to the ''plan OF redemp-
ton" The professor claimed that his views
left redemption untouched, and declined &C.
ceding to an invitation to resign, and so
left the responsibility of an unjust and
oppressive proceeding to those who would
assume 1t. The Nashville Christian AdrO-
cate, Prof. Winchel states, was spoken of
by the bishop as opposed to the professor on
the grounds Of evolution, " TO which it OBJ
iects. That paper. referring to one of the
professors lectures said 1T made US al
most sorry that we could not accept the neb
ular theory, and evolution, its corollary;
bit nothing is clearer to our mind than that
Special creation is taught in the scripture,
and We must abide by that. That the lecture
commented upon taught either the nebular
or the evolution theories the professor de-
MES. Professors, clergynlen and mem
bers of the board have, at various
times, expressed their esteem OF the professor.
and their opinion of his great ability and
value to the college. His "heresy, and that
alone, is the ground for the dismissS. of one
of the ornaments of science by the abolition
of the lectureship ne filed. The persecution
of Calico brought bitter shame on the
church of Rome, which eminent men within its
pale have since done their best to pallate. That
within the present century men OF the first
enlineace in geological science were some
tines aissed In public for asserting that the
world was far more tnan six thousand years
Old seems to-day thing almost Incredible
Yet We have in this summer OF 1873, IN the
State of Tennessee, the very same spirit dis
played and the very same prosecuting con,
duct followed. There is 10 attempt to show
that the teaching is erroneous-the teacher Is
simply silenced by indirect dismissal, as in
past times silence was enforced by the fame
and the stake. Were this done to indicate
the express teaching of scripture, even, the
would be unworthy, an attempt
of puny men to help God, putting forth Of !