, 1879-03-01
HORTICULTURE,
Hear the Other sEto-Thp Origin Of T.lre..
-,In.fKc LnmphIrc's Reply to DIR. Hum-
ulItnYt6 EaAnY.

Hear the Other sEdo-Tlp Origin Of Idre,.
-'Iu,tge LuInphIre's Ncply to DR.. Hum.
phrcy's Essay.
From our 0pn Correspondent.
CHICAGO, Feb. 28.-1Yc published last week
Dr. A. q. Humphreys theory OF plnnt-litc,
ccived the following paper from Judge Lam
psc, Of Galcslnlrg, Tie Doctor's uolghbor. It
presents another view OF this question OF
THE ORIGIN or LIFE.
IA belief In the supernatural" eays tho
Judge. "ts as old Hnl as universal aa rnan HIN.
self. Probably no nation OF pcnplo has uvcs
existed on the earth that has not had iii dea,
more or less distinct, Of u power above Natusc.h
While he would not nlatiu two much OE what
scemB to bo thu universal faith, ho would give
1t its due weight.
Iio then urocrels with his argument thus:
Mankind havn been unablo to account for what
they scu an1 know un0n hny o.her hypntlestt
This bci!eF has not been confined TO uny class,
people, Or age. The grcatest minds IT atl time
llAyo found among Its defcnllers. In tIn,o III
such great mental activity as tho prusenl, 1t IL
to be expected that sublec Of such untvrrsa-
| Interest sltah cnu,o to thu front; ul,l ACCORD
thinkers Ut tho age occupied with tho question,
nntl, us Usual, not only divided nmnng them.
sclycs, but aRainst theInselvcs,-thv same
Se"yg SGffs a erg y s s sa"a 1x 0S "
inRy cnll this belief aupcretit0n Or tho ctfsrt
| of a Isortlered brain; but thnt docs not settio
ths QUESTION @ s. Sr sasst5 as alc ,d n T. Is soat
naturally led to ask, Why should this thought
be rternnlly recurring 10 the learned and great,
as wei! Us TO tha simple aud ignorant, 1t 1t has
no Foundation In faett
T',u le'inycr in the supernatural maintains
that lllc Is something ul,oyu ii,l superior to
nsuttcr, md totally dstinct from 1t, md beyond
the l,owcr ot matter aanl a!l uat,!rnl torees 10
produce; whsc tho mntcriallst holds Tint ltio Ia
" conditioned, uyolyts iife. These Views, SO
dssurllant, when followed to their logical con.
rlnstous, Involve thu very foundations ot sr'-
slsty, ar ara ars ntiong t'.e most important "ud
Al Tho luto mcntng of tllc State horticultural
| Society, our fellor-tow,,a'nan, nr. A. q.
Humphrey, read y paper entitled "The Orgfn
nucl reading and study, aad many of its btate-
mcnts HnA conclusions, doubt nut, arc cur
| rect. While tho reaaa1iiDg is nomtnuIly con-
incd to pan.lt!c, 4 Will oo secu Tint II applics
nostor to inea.. il ,nattor and its forcca arc arc
sufficient to produce plant-ltfc, II must bo equa
10 tic tusk of producing animal lilc tllut being
hut q step higher In thu scale.
viii lu seen mid understood from the foilasw|ns ss;
| quotations. The lta1tcs nra snine. lilo nsks i:
"1d the hfc OF plants a homogeneous anl slts-
tlnct power, Or u tic resultant Of thu action
times the strongest kind OF affirmation is con
taincd In a auestion.i Again ie spys: In q
careful analysis ot this very Important subject,
We may lind, instead Ut tl1era being new unti
higher fnrre III Nature, as VIC hays suggested,
which raiAes matter IRON oil inorgansc to an
orKuntc stale, that ih's polefr Il peculiar maui
Ifalasron ef fhe kaolo" fo'tes ef Aaiurt, md is
quite ~ inheIent III certain forms Of tnattcr as
p!aeo tu says, speaking Ut the Rrcnt changes on
thu earth: FtuMt tuturat euusts It one, tho
pTttnsya' sca ultimately became densely peopled
'lrsc quotations speak for themselves, mud
nee1 III exrl nHatory notes from my nl,e. The
principle taught y, that all iic u ilc product
q. 'atrr asH ts ftrcrs; md, If al,at ,,o true, It
el1cetnalty sh"ta out thu supernatural, md
nyerth!ows tho mornl structure basr1 upull lilat
ldeu. The principle laid down by thu Dortor
viii huiEcr tla eqaat nraE tho thrnnc, but must
sap5s'"G Il, t1s fs The ~ n1!insss ; u p5ot
wIsero their rrcnlsrs lead them. Tlla praise Ii
not .ius IT. all lnaleria!ls,s; Prof. TytidaIi fir
!ls.luee. hrsltnes, ~ It fearful to tak0 tic lean
HE.
TlItre sro certain fundamental propoetiona
Or laws that presume neither ur, Ua,nnl,roy
nor aty of the scentlsts viii deny. They aru:
!. All plenonena ure goYerucd by law. III
other words, there u no s,ch thing a. CHANCE.
2. Tic salne conditions Or causps must pro.
iue0 The sanu elfccts. To lllustrpta. Two
parts Ut hydrogen combined With onu of uxygel
RtWuYH prtM1Ge& water.
u All lLte,wtet'ler plant or animal, has its be.
ElAni,y In ReFm.eet|s, or pFotup,asHl, or lrntter
Vt iifc,-'llesu tolns being uked BY ecIentista
Interchangeable, OF - substantially syuuuy.
| nuus.
t. Tl!e elements Of ali gern,.cclls nre sub,
6tautallY the satne.
This fourth proposition IL not universally at,
mittcd, but ahala bu ablo to support 1t by the
ley hulsvlt.
lu bis tccturo entitled "Tte Physlcal usses oil
Life" 10 kavs: "What Is meant by tho physical
bases Of life t. thai there 10 oas Kind 9f ta.tst
,n' aa,t,Gu y III liynK beings. and Il & na,asd