The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-05-13

The DOCTRINE OF Evolution.
Prof. Huxley Thinks it Is now an Els
tabiished Fact.

on A"' O'S \" AStoI Vic CLi2lH Oh
Species" at the Royal Institution, in the
presence of crowded audience. The Pro
lessor referred at the outset to the appear
aace of Mr.. Darwin's book in October.
iS59, a copy of the original edition of which
he held IN his hand. The doctrine of the
EVOLUTION, on which the work was founded.
rad spread its influence over the whole realm
Of thought. The question which they had
to consider was how it was that change had
aiken place. There were two factors
which had to be considered in determining
This question, the one Of the state Of MN
10 which the evidence was offered. and the
ether and, be regretted to say, the subor-
dinate factor, the nature of the evidence il
self. In 1859 the STATE of mind of the bio
logical word was absolutely different to
What it was now, and, secondly the evidence
Of the truth or falsehood of the main prin
ciples was absolutely different to what it
was at the present at the time. As respects
the state of mind, be confessed that he
looked back with establishment At the no
lions which they were ready to entertain at
that time. There vas no stronger ~illustra-
ton OF this than the mode of solving the
question of the past history Of this. globe.
Invent, five years ago what Was known as
Catastrophe Geology was at the highest
point of It's influence, bat he did not sup
pose there was any one now who viewed
The Catastrophe doctrine except as a fossil.
Laughter. On the contrary. 1t was uni
yersally admitted that the key to the past
vas to be found in the present. He believed
there was nothing which had SO fixed the |
doctrine of evolution in the minds Of scien- |
"A - 2ho !
Darwin's work was but the natural suppli
ment to Sir Charles Lyell's, principles of
Geology" The kernel of Dir. Darwin's
bsok lay in the assertion tina the animal
species and the organic beings with which
this world was peopled had all descended. |
each within its own class spran9 from a
common root and q common parent. but
they had all been modified in the course of
heir descent. and, further, when he SAID
that all the existing forms Of life were the
tineal descendants of those which had lived
before the Silurian epoch. If that propo-
sitlOn was true, the book was the most con
siderable contribution which had been civ
"a TO the world since the time Of Harvey,
and If it was false, the rest Of the book was
u no consequence. The necessary corrall
IT to that proposition was that all forms
81 life had been connected together. but
ia SdS lLc pOitt WHICH lHJ tCSi slOSt I
aercely attacked in the discussion to which
Ar. Darwin's book, had given rise. The
Professor proceeded TO deal at length with
his part OF hit subject. The absence of
N! material distinction which it took some
iaree or four years to get settled. hut 1t
Vas admitted now on the hands the con
nectlon between the birds and the other
oTaDches Of the animal kingdom was an
'ther point which bad been cleared up by
'obsequent discoveries, notably of the ar:h
'sptary. Again, the apparent gap bel wcen
Fegetabie life had been disposed of. In
'sstigatlons which had i,een made since
iooS had shown utterly impossible it was
10 attempt to draw any distinction between
tle lower animals and the lower plants.
lastly, the Influence which bad powerfully
Vgh'rlbuted to change the state "f mind in
when the matters were considered was the
N'rVeIsus Development. OF thc means Of
Idaivldual investigation. We had now at
'alned a position In these matters OF which
vi fathers had no conception, and it was
~" possible to make a complete and accu-
..e examination of the ovarv Of any organ
~ land even to reduce it to the thousandth
part OF an inch. But he had always felt
"aI tte real evidence in favor of evolution
lust be with the pal;eontslogist. Mr.. Oar
In mas accounted te some Of his critics Tor
.9e deficiencies which he felt existed on
.Ms branch be referring to the impcrfection
Che geological records; but by a singular
" THESE lmperfections had, sincs lS49
81 supplied by researches all over the
1'Na, especially these in the n~eighberhood
Athens, and by discoveries Of the Amer
T Tan biologists in the Western Territories.
.ue TACT was that the doctrine Of evolution
;" no longer a matter or speculation. it
- q u dDS0Infa foHt Tho faot vv.c ttnra
c 20 other supposition which could not
inject the facts reieayed by recent dis
Tres except that which was called cvol-
Ion. lie might be told that these various
%sets might have been developed spon-
SaS Iousiy and created spontaneously. He
~. nothing to say to any one who advanced
"'heory any more than he should have
lung / to say to the savage who said
10 ~ Tue sun set in the west at night and
dss fecreated before it's rising the next
,f@s A laugh. Thus in the year 1880