The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-01-29
Written for The Spirit of Demoorasy.l
EVOLUTION:
[coxrrsuED rssn FIRST PAGE /


This excerpt shows Tyndall s. arbi-
trary impeachment OF history and facts
of history then and now existing -
Crude notions Of mole-eyed specialis,s "a
have always been in circulation, and
itinerant scioists proposing explanation
for everything by some unheard of dis
covery.7 But to return To tI,is iineai de-
cent Of atomists, after the contributions
of Linneaus and Button, Imsnuel Kant
in 1855, aud Erasmus Darwin in 1874,
added their research and declarations TO
previous endeavor. Lamark OF Paris
ut the commencement OF the present cen.
.uIy presented the first hypothesis of
evolution In d rational form Goethe OF
Gre, many in 1928 philosophical on the
functions of microscopic germs and
monads. Leihuitz of Germany TO whom
McCoshs pays tribute, could account, as
he supposed, for all physical and spirit
ual phenomens in the functions of the
monad . About this time (lS2b) the re-
search and influence of Cuvier did much
to retard theprogress Of the evolution
lists ls"0H 70
Yeomeans, in the American Cyclope-
.,iia. fills up period OF comparative ST.
lence on the subject by the following
names: 'Dr. W c. Wells, who, before
the London Royal Society enunciated
the principle of natural selection as ap.
piled 10 certain races OF mankind Rev
WIN Herbert, Dean of Manchester, who,
ia 1922 declared that botanical and ani.
NAL species were only higher and more
permanent class of varieties Leopold
Won Buch, who, in 1926 asserted that
varieties change gradually into perma-
nent which are no longer capable of in
tercrossing.' Prof Grant of Edinhurg
published his belief in 1926 Carl Ernst
Won Baer in 1928 oK,n in lS43 pub.
lished bis belief in the development Of
species And from this time till 1859
j. d'Omalins d'Halloy Of Brussels, Iso-
dore Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, Herbert
Spencer who is not the least among the
apostles Dr.. Shaffhausen, and Alphred
r. Wallace-cast their names, character,
and influence into the evolution scale
About 30 years ago an anonymous wri-
ter did much to recover the theory from
'dormancy by reproducing it in work
entitled "The Yestiges of Creation" /"
and succeeded In making permanent
agitation. Dafwin assisted In the re-.
susi,ation, making some important ad.
ditons sH5
In 1859 he published his work aon
The Origin of Species hv Means oi
Natural Selection" and "Var;ation OF
Animals and Plants under Domeslics
ton 3sh =" AE'-t
In 1871 he published his "0ecent Of
Man." and in the same year there ap
reared St. George Mivarts' "Genesis oI
Species In the few years past the
Games and works OF Huxley and Tyn
'iali are conspicuous. Darwin's princi
pal contribution to the doctrine was his
enunciation of the law OF "natural sc.
lection as result of the struggle fol
existe nee in accordance with which there
is the "survivsl of the fittest" Thi:
law has secondary application in re
lstion to the origin Of variation which
Darwin assumed that he might have ma
terials FROM which 'natural selection
could be made
Retaining this tolerably exact gener
al conception Of the rise and history o
revolution we will next interest ourselve
in noting the arguments relied on in ii
support.