Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-22
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Faith of World Famous Agnostie
!. and Scientist.
Thomas Huxley Would Not Attack
Any Mans Belief, but Simply
Asserted That He Himself
i. "Did Not Know"
5y z, ]. EDWARDS.

Whoever was fortunate enough to
hear the lectures delivered by the late
Thomas Henry Huxley, one of the
ablest men of science that the nine
teenth century produced. which Pro-
fessor Huxley delivered in the United
States in centennial year, never fail
ed to speak afterward of those ex-
lraordinary discourses with amaze
ment and enthusiasm While upon his
visit to this country Professor Huxley
delivered the dedicatory address at
the opening of Johns Hopkins uni
versity. Of that address the late Dan
lei C. Gilman, who was president or
Johns Hopkins from its founding until
his death in 1908. used sometimes to
say that, taken all in all, it was the
ablest address he had ever heard de-
livered by man of science, and he be-
lieved that it would ever remain a
classic.
Huxleys lectures in the United
States had for their topic evolution,
and as a result of the lectures. bril-
liant as they were and profound as
was his treatment of the subject, HuX-
ley gained a wide reputation through
out America as an agnostic. When ne
was asked by one who had been
student under him in England just be-
fore he returned to England if it were
true that he was an atheist and II ne
did not feel some compunction that
he should have SO lectured in the
United States as to SOW the seeds OF
disbelief, he replied:
Never would I knowingly say
word which would tend to break down
the religious sentiment which so many
people hold as the most precious OF
their blessings 7 do not intend ever
to attack any mans belief or to say
word which would impair his faith. 1t
would be the height of cruelty to 10
that. Some who have proclaimed as-
Mysticism have made the mistake or
sneering or jeering at the religious be-
liefs of the people.
"All that assert is that for myself
| can simply say that | do not KNOW.
do not believe or disbelieve. SIM
ply do not know. And as a man or
science 7 cannot understand how the
truth Of any Of the great prophecies
and assertions which form the basis
of religious life so far as the hero
after is concerned can he established.
But [ have faith in character; am
going back TO England to take up with
nv wife the work which we have eS-
tablishcd in the East End settle
ments of London. That shall DO,
though have accumulated little or
nothing. presume | shall die poor
man."
This Huxley did: and it was this Ia
Dor of philanthropy, added 10 his SCI
entihc tasks. that brought him TO ms
cradle health during the closing years
of his life 1t was in 1896, at the age
OF seventy, when he died. BY acct
dent he took fatal potion OF q drug;
he mistook the bottle which contained
a tonic that had been prescribed for
him by his physician. When. in spite
of all that medicine could do, II be.
came necessary to say to Huxley ana
his wife that the poison was TO do IT'S
fatal work. that great man Of science
that profound agnostic turned 10 MS
wife and took her hand. and III
feeble voice but with a beautiful smile
lighting up his face, said to hcr:
.'Do not grieve; it is all for ths
best. Be as serene as ! am ana be
comforted" And he closed his eyes,
and soon fell asleep. never again 10
wake.
Downright ial. b. +. !. Edwards. An
..s.-::- - ca.Tvcd)