Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-03-10

The book that above all others IL Just
now claiming the attention Of thoughtful
readers, had almost said, that II monopo.
liking their attention, is "The Life and
Letters Of Charles Darwin," by his son
Francis Darwin. Tho English reviews
and journsls are full of II, and have
been for some time, for the seventh
thousand OF II has already bcen
printed. Soon, no doubt, American journals
will be full OF 1t too for It has just been
published In this country by Mes,rs. d.
Appleton d Co., Of New York, In two
handsome crown octave volumes,
II IL seldom that one comes across blog
raphy that In calculated from the character
and fame OF it, subject 10 arouse such eager
curiosity, for II is very seldom that y man
like Charles Darwin, with such his
tory ~ his, Is given to the world.
Aud II is just as seldom, It must also be
said, that such q man i fortunate
enough 10 have q biogrspher In every way
20 specially qualified and fitted for his
work AZ Mr.. Francis Darwin has shown
himself 10 be, man evidently much like
his father ut least In tho ono distinctive
characteristic OF absolutely unselfish and
all-absorbing loyalty 10 the truth. His
mission he feels Is simply to tell tue facts
a. they wer0, with no attempt at account
ing for them, interpreting their possible
| Significance. magnifying, or defending
them or trying TO shield from their conse-
quences. All this Ia foreign 10 bis mind
and purpose. Moreover from having for
years been his fathers assistant nd collab-
| orator In some OF his most important scien'
tito work, he In peculiarly lifted 70 tell US
| much that no one else could have told, and
which yet would have left tho world poorer
| had II not been told. Altogether, the "Life
| and Letters OF Charles Darwin" at once
| takes It's place as one OF the worlds great
biographies are few greater.
The character OF tho great scientist that is
revealed to US In lis pages, especially In the
| photographed chapter and the many
| charming letters, is that ofa man singularly
| childlike In many respects and yet In
| others full OF the most sturdy manhood and
| even lofty heroism. Iii ID odesty and feTvent
| humility were no great ss to make him
sometimes appear almost weak or uncertain
| In his convictions, 30 ready was he to ac-
| cept every criticism, suggestion or correc-
| tion friend or foo might make To take all
blame for possible mistakes upon himself
| to overestimRte tne worth OF others
/ and their work, and underestimate
his own and so utterly free was he from
| anything like envy, and from Ill Will to-
/ wards even the most bitter and insolont Of
his critics, calum niators and assailsnts. II
over man was justified In losing patience
and sngrily retortiDg to the ignorant and
malicious Misrepresentation OF his oppc-
nents, that man WAS Charles Oar.
win. But who ever endured insult
and siander more meeklyT Who ever
was less often betrayed into unkind or
| discourteous words Who ever accepi ted
more frankly, fully and humbly every real
| correction or just criticism And, II may
| be added, who over showed more CRATE.
l J,.l >irtsS Srr gp,A NJ nv
| com mend alton vouchsafed HIN And be
| II remembered under sll this aggravation
l fromIwithout hs had to contend with the
never absent aggravation OF disease that
during the last forty years OF his life never
left him an hour without pain and suffering.
| IL was not Indifference on bis part either ;
| on the contrary he WAS by nature excessively
sensitive 10 praise or blame.
These raro qualities OF humility, charity,
and patient forgiving spirit--all qualities
OF the truest greatness of charscter-wsre
| complemented by as rare a sense OF honor,
| an ideal uprightness aud integrity, and an
intuitive love OF right aud truth when and
wherever found.
Let me give you only one little illustra-
tion of the last mentioned quality, other
more striking ones might be given, but this
appeals particularly to the grateful appre.
citation OF Americans. On Sept. II, 1861 he
wrote thus to DIR. Asa Gray: ~ hope to
God we English are utterly wrong In doubt.
| ing () whether tho N. can conquer tho =
| (2) whether the n. has many friends In the
-, and (3) whether you noble men OF
Massachusetts are right in transferring
your own good feelings TO the men OF
| Washington. Again i say l hope to God
We are wrong In doubling on those points.
1t Is number (3) which alone causes Eng
| land not to be enthu usiastic with you. What
IL may be in Lancashire 1 know not, butlin
S. England cotton has nothing whatever TO
do with our doubts. II abolition does follow
with your victory, the whole world Will
look brighter in my eyos, and in many
eyes, ETC."
Even more strongly had ho written In
juno OF that same year "Some few,
and am one OF them, even wish to God,
though at the loss of millions OF lives, tha,
the North would proclaim crusade against
slavery. In the long.run, million horrible
deaths would be amply repaid In the cause
OF humanity. What wonderful times We
live in Massachusetts seems to show noble
| enthusiasm. Great God how / should
like to see the prea'est curse on earth-say
ery--abolished - These are the words O
the man who was accused OF minim z in,
| hnu ueRrhuluR the uiknlly anu worth q
| man, even while his accu -ers were defend
| Ing human slavery, and quoting Scripture
20 prove him hereto ana 1t divine In
stitution!
In all lite ature know OF no other In
I | stance OF unselfisb, high minded gen erosit
like that displayed by Darwin on the OF
I casion OF Mr.. Wallsce's independent di,
covery of the laws governing the origin {
,, species. And indeed the latter emineu
scientists conduct was equally noblo. A
| early as 1887 Mr.. Darwin had already hi
: upon the leading idoas of his theory OF In
, | origin of species bv means OF natural sels,
: tioD, e.. In 1912 he wrote out brit
= | abstract OF II In lead pencil and in lSi
, another longer one He was repeated
urged to publish this, especially by 81
Charles Lyell, who warned him that II h
, | pated by some one else. Up to June, 1856
s, however he had not yet done 30, thoug
; fully intending to do so. What must bsv
| been his feelings, then, when on June ISL
1858, he received letter from Mr.. Alire
Russel Wallace, IN which the latter pro
pounded essentially the same theory
; which had been occupying Darwin's min
. Wallace suddenly, almost rs q revelation
The latter knew nothing whatever OF tn
= formers laboTs or ideas In this direction
and asked him to forward the letter cor
timing his theory to Lyell. Mr. psrwi
at once did 30, accompanying It with thss
words
"Your words have come true with
. | vengeance-tbst i should be forestailet
q You said this when explained to you her
r very briefly my views on Natural Seiec
t ton depending on the struggle for exist