Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-05-17
From Oar Regular Correspondence
Our European letter.
LONDON, Eng, May ,,

i'SNPpN, Luz MAY :, o..
III The death Of Mr.. Darwin, which took
place on Wednesday afternoon at O'Clock,
at Darwin House, near Bcckenham, Kent,
England, has lost ono of the greatest of
her philosophers and one Of the purcst and
noblest-minded Of men. The researches
of Mr.. Darwin were OF such kind rs to
expose him to much misconception, chiefly
in the religious world, there being still u
strong disposition in the clerical mind to
cling 10 Scriptural traditions, even when
they are re(uted by the simplest and most
obvious evidence. Those, however, who
imagine that Mr.. Darwin entered upon
the abstruS, speculations which occupied
the greater part of his life in a spirit of
opposition to religious truth never made a
greater mistake. Many of his revelations
for they deserve to be SO callcd--suggest
IDEAS of the future of the human race
vaster, higher ana nobler than can be
found in any previous works of the kind.
While SchopGnauer, the pcssimist, dwclls
necessarily upon the failures Of nature
and the frailtics of the human species,
Darwin shows, by the gradual advance of
man from Il lower range Of being, how
progressive the operations of nature really
are; and tho great moral to be derived
from his works is, that so far from "Aying
in the face OF the Creator" as it has been
absurdly called, we arc really fulfilling
the purpose Of the Supreme Being and
working out the proper destiny of man by
seeking deeper and deeper into those Won
lcrful problems Of the universe still but
impcrfectly known. As one of the great
est pioneers of such discoveries and rcvol-
atoms Of natural truth tho name of Darwin
will ever be associated. Nothing was
mere worthy OF praise than the calmness
with which Mr.. Darwin met with the vir-
ulcnt attacks upon his theories. Il do but
chronicle facts, and they will defend
themselves" he said on one occasion. The
immediate cause Of death was heart dis.
case, which developed itself about two
months ago. Mr.. Darwin was in his
seventy-fourih year, having been born on
Feb. 18th, 1909. lie entered ut Christ's
college, Cambridge, in 1927, and took the
degree of +. A. in 1852. and that of M. A,
in 1857. Mr. Darwin first became known
as naturalist by his work on tho 200
lo%y of the Voyage OF the Beagle" which
vessel he accompanied in her circumnavi
CATION of the globe. His great work or
the Origin Of Species by Means of Nat
ural Selection" which led to so mucl
controversy, was published in 1859, ant
his descent of Maa and Selection in lie.
lation to Sex" in 1871. His later works
arc too familiar to require mention. Mr.
Darwin married in 1859 the grand-daugh'
ter of Mr.. Josiah hollywood, +. II. S. lie
was member OF many English ant
foreign scientific bodies, aud has had hon
orary degrees conferred upon him by the
Universities Of Cambridge and Leydon.
The royal marriage is naturally tho topic
Of conversation in the upper circles, and
many will be disappointed in tlIcir hopes
Of being prcscut, rs tho invitation will be
more limitcd than was expected. The
Prince and Princess of NYaldcck will ar
rive on Tuesday, and will leave Queens
boro pier by a special train Of the London
Chatham and Dover railway, and proceed
via Chaplain Junction TO Windsor, The