The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-06-08
THE DOCTRINE OF EVOLUTION.
Prof. Huxley Thinks 1t ~ Now an Esiab-
lisihed Fact.
fLondOn Standard

Last night Prof. Huxley gave a discourse
on "The Coming Of Age Of the Origin of
n Species" at the Royal Institution, in the
4 presence of a crowded audience. The pro-
fessor referred at the outset to the appearance
of Mr.. Darwin's book in October, 1869, a
copy of the original edition of which he held
in his hand. The doctrine of evolution, on
which the work was founded, had spread its
influence over the whole realm of thought.
The question which they had to consider was
how it was that that change had taken place.
There were two facts which had to be con-
sidered in determining this question, the one
the state of mind to which the evidence
was offered, and the other, and, he regretted
TO say, the subordinate factor, the nature of
the evidence itself. In 1869 the state of
mind of the biological world was absolutely
different to what it was now, and secondly, the
Aevidence of truth or falsehood of the main
principles was absolutely different to what it
was at the presen mt time. AS respects the 81 late
OF mind, he confessed that he looked back with
establishment at the notions which they were
fready to entertain at that time. There was no
stronger illustration Of this than the mode of
solving the question of the past history of this
globe. Twenty-tiy years ago " hat was known
as catastrophe geology was at the highest
point OF its influence, but he did not suppose
here was any one now who viewed the cat
lstrophic doctrine except us Il fossil.
Laughter On the Contrary, it was unlver-
'ally admitted that the keysto the past were TO
re found in the present. He believed there
vas nothing which had so fixed the doctrine
II eyolul ion in the minds of scientific men as
he realization o. this fact. Mr.. Darwiu's
work was but the natural supplement- to Sir
Charles Lyells "Priuciples of Geology"
tChe kernel of Mr.. Darwin's book lay in the
%ssertion that the animal species and the o.
f!anic bein IS with which tits world was
,eoplrd had all descended. each with its own
lass aprang from a common root and 4 com
non parent, but they haG all been mohi
asied III the course of this descent, and,
III urther, when he said that all the existing
ormS Of life were the lineal descendants Of
hose which had lived before the Silurian ep-
ch. lfthat proposition was true. the book was
& he most considerable contribution which had
cen given to the world since the time of
larvey and if il. was false, the rest of the
ook was OF no consequence. The necessary
oroliary to that proposition was that all forms
II t life had been connected together, but this
Ias the point which had been most ~fiercely
ttacked in the discussions in which Mr.. Oar
Wins book had given rise. The professor then
roceeded to deal at length with this part of
is subject. The absence of any material dis
notion between man and the higher animals
as a point which it took some three or four
ears to get settled, but it WAS admitted now
II all hands the connection between the birds
nd the other branches of the animal king
ON was another point which had been
feared up by subsequent discoveries notably
III the a~rcheoptay. Again the apparent gap
etween vegetable life had been disposed of.
Investigations which had been made since
$50 had shown how utterly impossible il
as to attempt to draw any distinction be-
Ween the lower animals and the lower plants.
M .astly, the influence which had powerfully
ontributed 10 change the state Of mind in
hlcli these matters were considered was he
IA .%aryelous development of the means Of indi-
sA ldnai Investigation. We had now attained
Ell position in these matters of which our
III liners had no conception, and 1t was now
fs )sslole 10 make a complete and accurate
81 samination of the ovary of any organism.
81 Id even to reduce it to the thousandth part
~ an inch. But he had always felt that the
II al evidence in favor Of evolution must be
18th the pa!eontologist. Mr.. Darwin has ac-
~ sunted to some of his critics for the deficient
III es which he felt existed on this branch by
ID fferring 10 the imperfection of the geological
cords, but by a singular fate these ,i1Iper-
ctions had, since 1S49, been supplied by
searches all over the world, especially those
the neighborhood of Athens, by disc )veries
the American biologists in the western
III rritories. The fact was that the doctrine Of
olutioD was not a matter of speculation ; it
NJ as an absolute fact. The fact was there
g IS no other supposition which could connect
G facts revealed by recent discoveries, ex-
< pit that which was called evolution. He
P ight be told that these various objects might
We been developed spontaneously and Gre
ed spontaneously. He had nothing to say
anyone who advanced that theory any
pre- than he should have anything to say to
savage who said that the sun set in the
st at night and was recreated before its ris-
the next day. Ia laugh.1 Thus in the
ar 1880 the doctrine of evolution was no
lger q matter Of speculation. 1t was sim
the only way of coherently and nationally
planning the facts Of paleontology.