New-York tribune., 1878-02-19
THE LECTURE,

to attempt to throw new light on the suDJect IN
single popular lecture. All those who have discussed 1t
have been in accord upon It, and strongly opposed
parties have been called into existence, and usually
happens the the discussion is prolonged tho wider
the divergence of opinion But most men and
all women pariisans, and OF the most difficult
things encountered in human experience Is to make all
think alike any proposed question
Four parties arraycd in antagonsm upon the sub
iect of Evolution, and are carrying kind OF quad
ranguIar duel The first party Is that represented by
dist guishcd scientist Mr.. Darwin. whose name has
been identified with the theory OF Evolution that the
impression widely prevails that he is the author OF IT,
whereas it was originated long before his time But he
formulated and explained it. Me-. Darwin's view
is that all the complex and symmetrical
forms Of the fauna AID flora, the animal
aud plant OF the present day, are derived from simple
initial rganc pointsa cell for example, by process OF
growth with infinite variation and that those varieties
which were best adapted to their surroundings were
pcrpeuated and strengthened, while the ill-adapted
pcrished In the struggle OF life. This Is the
doctrine Of the survival OF the fttest. II,
in the lang age OF Mr.. Darwin, region was
occupied by extremely prolific but swift bares,
by dogs wolves dependent the capture of these
bares for their existence naturally the ongstegged
and eees dogs wolves would be the most successful
the cha and In competition with others wOnId De
perpetjated, while the shoreregged and slower dogs
would he starved ont and disappear. The result would
he the production Of race OF greyhounds you please
Mr. Darwin leaves he question Oh inc origin "a ie un
ouched
Another class OF philosophers, among whom Dr. Charl
ton Basian Is leader goes step fultner PACK, ana
claims bat the initial point ia the life series deveoped
according the DarW imam hypothesis is lite germ
produced from inorganic substances Oi tnis eilsS arc
the mateIalists Ablogenesiss; whue Huxley, OAR
win. and the most distinguished y modern biologists
Biogrnesists; that they discain any knowledge
comprehension OF life. except as the progeny OF pre-
Another group Of thinkers Of which Professor Asa
paatin 81 the method by Which an inscratablr power
has produced al the PHENOMENA OF creation Us ad-
hoTcnts the theory nOthng Inconsistent WIN thc
existence of a supreme Deity or with Revelation.
sl!i another class is tnat OF Thicn my di3tngashed
"a champion which rejects all forms OF evolution as
inconsistent alike witn Revelation and true scence My
desro t. give brief summary OI the facts-thlngS
altogether too much neglected III this dlscussl0nWnlcn
gooloSy oilers to Ia" sincere inquirer ate n-t Oh 'hs
In past ages a series OF rock formations have been
as y w wSn ",,e GSe Se These se. Of rocks cnntaTs
less complete history Of the caaugee winch took
anterior TO the advent OF man. Tue Ossls CT tie
PoeOzoo ami MesOzoic ages are about all extinct II Is
only when the tertiary or Ncozoo age that
We meet with living forms. What We call our
terra frma Is really type OF nnstabilty, tor
crust o The is cOnssaui beng moved and iod'd,
aud i1at S1mcwhl; TegHlarly 80 that IN all ages some
portfon OF the land has going up, other portions
hovn and wherever tho surface passed below the
level wOuid h0W IN and deposit upon II one or
another OF tne kinas OF which ind in the
series OF rocks Sediments are still forming from the
snelis and skeletons Of animals which inhabt the
sea- and whieh IN dsatn % sink to the s1,,t. pot
dcnce Of the Land, which has permitted tie
sea to flow and deposit over the submerged surface
sediments which contain greater or less numbers the
remains OF the animals and plants then living This
history incomplete because not all the forms OF
lie which existed would be preserved, partly because
many pershabe, and chiefly tnosc that Inhabited
seas or dritcd them would leave any relics behind
them. THIS history though more complete than would
hTs he deemed possible Is eonie1sedy deiecSe; %
areas worlds have yet been unsudied by
nated by discovery there Is very lttic probab
ity tnat the general conclusions of poleontoloSy VIII
! experience any important modification.
Mammals began their existence. far as we know In
tho Irius but Throughout tue MesOzJic ages held an
altogether subordinate aud Insignificant position Inc
cntilcs occupied tho sea- the land the air, for tey
we're swimmers and walkers and nyers the sea reptiles
scrpsns, as we imagine them to exist at present. Tue
nist ord, far yet known was the archeOpteryx
Bavaria. Part repuio aud part bird IN analom-
zeal structure, it was apparently clothed VITA
Of plunes arranged rad atcy. rs IN fam while The tail
proOngatlOn % tho yortcDfal column Ld the snae OF
an oar-bado Il supposed that i had tcct1. The fly
dragon, PtotOdaciyl,. OF the Jurissc ana trc'-
periods. had great wings, like pats IN structure.
p ui th.r wings In the Tcrtlary PERIOD, the yegeIa-
ION vas apparently more luxuraut aud beautiful than
tnt OF tue present dAy. Tor The crandest and most in.
California tne redwood aud tue mammoth
Iecs, our tulip trees mdgnOlas, sycamores and
Expresses the lingering remnants OF the
magnificent forests which covered continent even 20
the Arcuc TIC Tertiary has been wed named the
age OF mammals Brute then I'll ed the world for
stage During the Ice period, TIE climate of Greenland
was brought ~ far south New-York, aud broken
thousands OF years. Wnoc of animals plants
prscd those forms that were driven iar south sur
VyoI Ad ultimately moved northward WIN tue amel-
iuIatipu ~ tho climate, And were attended by new
element N tue history OF tue worli. primitive man.
We see that geological record, tor II goes, Is
more autbeuio ana crediOe than unnspred history,
since contains personal equalOn Is the ptodact oi
mai histories automatic and necessarily true;
hat the earlier chapters OF this history, those wach con-
ta,n the records tho beginning OF fe for the most
part oDcrated aud e-Die; that there are many gaps
I'm tI, narrative which doubtless will be- but mp TO the
pr, sent time have not been hied ana thts mat Iie
consists of series of chapters, more or less aus
connected The evidence Is conclusive that The eailest
fauna and fora 0f wnicn have any knowledge con
81 ted Of fewer clements, and these ol simpler structure
than any succeeding age Also that there hs Deeh
constant and progressive increase III tnc variety OF am
mas and plants aud IN the cOmpcAy OF theii structure
ctnpot the conclusion that it is the of
law other words, that IL is the operation o forces rs
duco and guide the motions OF the heavenly
bodies The paralieLsm OF the progress OF l. lIe 10
an individual gern Is close That most studt nS
OF palrontology Inspired with the CONVICTION mat
ted cham in other words hat the later forms are
dcryations from those which preceded them. Inls is
i-s and they believe that evolution Is not only exem
pllned progress of life. but that 1t is Law OF
We now come to the question of questions; What is
the cause which has produced progress OF fef one
group OF geoogsts, with Mr. Darwin. believes that ex-
ternal influences have alone produced the diversity OF
1urnce when has produced these Effects has emGnated
from within the organism and has been an essential
feature its life and growth External circumstances
have most potent influence. as Mr. Darwin has shown,
but we may question the adequacy OF the agencies ne IN
yokes 10 produce all effects hecaims for then There
are many which IL is impossible wltb our present
lights TO reconcile with his theory.
Will present Of the difficulties which, up TO the
Present time, have prevented me from accepting, In al
H. ength and breadth Darwnisn the theory of the
universe and have compelled to hold the law OF evo-
ution not as creed but convection. There Is first
the breaks In cham Of life, which, till they filed
forbid the cautious scientist to accept demonstrated
the derivation of the later forms In all cases. from the
earlier Professor Huxley explains the persistent types
Of life by saying that If the spontaneous variation of
species does not give IL advantageous form or
structure, that variety has not been perpet-
ratcd or no profitable variation mas .,e Dsen