Year: 1875

Mr.. EDITOR:


I am aware you have not the room
} to devote much space to record o
scientific Investigations. Still thinl
many of your readers are something
more than mere newsmongers. Many
Of them are thinkers, and are graspine
strongly at the ideas just now con
vulsing the world of thought.


1t is possible some take the masa'
zines devoted to the dissemination OF


scientific discoveries and researches


but many probably do not, and have


not the time to peruse the lengthy and


often rather recondite articles in which


these investigations are made known


Hence it has occurred to me to sum.


marize one of these articles, recently


Published in The Popular Science


Monthly, in such manner as to place


its leading thoughts plainly in small


space in your paper. Still the thought


full reader will wish to see the whole


article. 1t is contained in the Novem-
Der number of the above magazine,


and is entitled Spencer and Evolu-


tion." Its object is mainly to show


how much honor is withheld from


Spencer, to whom, it is claimed, we


are firstly indebted for most Of the


wonderful changes that have taken


place in the world of mind within the


last few years.


''The name of Herbert Spencer has


been lsng associated, in the public


mind, with the idea of evolution. And


while that idea was passing through


what may be called its stage of execra-


tion, there was no hesitsnce in accord


ing to him all the infamy of it's pa ter


nifty, but when the infamy is changed


to honor, there turns out to be good


deal less alacrity in making the re-


vised award" s5..


Character is tested by emergencies


as well in the world of ideas, as in the


world of action. Let us now glance


at the general condition of thought in


relation to the origination of things,


when Spencer began his investiga-


tions and 1t is by his bearing in one
of the great crises of our progressive
knowledge OF nature, that he is to be
measured"


"Down to the early part of the
present century it had been generally
believed that this world, with all that
it contains, was suddenly called into
existence but few thousand years
ago, in much the same condition as we
now see it. Throughout Christendom
it was held, with the .carnestness of
religious conviction, that the universe
was Divine manufacture, made out
of nothing in week, and set at once to
running in all its present perfection.
This doctrine gave shape to . whole
body Of faith and science, and to broad
systeuls or Philosophy and common
opinien."


Modern science was long restrain
ed by the power of traditional beliefs
but the force Of facts and reasoning at
length proved too strong for these be-
liefs, and it was demonstrated that the |
prevailing notion concerning the re-
cent origin of the world was not true.
1t was proved that the present order
of things is the outcome of vast series |
of changes running back an indefinite
and incalculable antiquity, that life has
back for untold millions of
years and that multitudes of forms
arose and perished in a determinate
succession, while the last appearing
are highest in grade, as if by some
principle of order and progression"


s.To the theologians, these new facts,
these new steps toward another epoch
of thought, were of grave concern.
They were the proprietors of the old
view they claimed for it supernatural
and that the existence of
and even of God, was involv-
ed. The most familiar conception of
The Deity was that of a Creator, and
was held to be truthtully des-
,ribed in the Bible. How deep and
was the old error is shown
BY the fact that, although it has been
exploded, although the inn
neasureable antiquity of the earth
md the progressive order of its life
nave been demonstrated, aud admitted
by all Intelligent persons, yet the pull
pit still clings to the old conception,
md the traditional view is that which
generally prevails auomg the multi
,ude."


p" The traditional explanation of the
origin of the world, and all that be-
ongs to it, being thus discredited, it
,nly remained to seek another explain
ltion. How has it been done? One
might suppose that the effect of the
litter break k-down OF the old hypothe-
,is would have been to relegate the
whole question to the sphere of sci
ence. But this was far from being
lone. The pa eternaturaI solution had
Jailed, but its logical alternative,
Natural solution, was not adopted or
urged. A kind of tacit compromise
was made between the contending .
theologians conceding the
rast antiquity of the earth, and the
biologists conceding pretcrnatural in ..
SO that, in place of one
mighty miracle, occurring few thou
'and years ago. there were substituted
hundreds of thousands of separate !
of special creation scattered !
III along the geologic ages, to account
or the phenomena of terrestrial life"


The writer then states that this set ,
lement of the question was not satis-
actory to Spencer, and he commenced q
J course of Investigations, based upon q
"a view made probable by astrono-
nara onH H., 70