a
THE TORCH OF REASON, SILVERTON, OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1897.
The Spread of E v o lu tio n a ry
T h o u g h t.
improving the theory scientifically,
which Darwin and subsequent
writers supplied. In his “Metamor­
phosis of Plants,” published in
1790, Goethe derives all vegetable
forms in the world form one, and
all the different organs of the plant
by development from one organ,
the leaf. In his lines, “ Proteus
Delphis,” he says:
Nature and the reign of law, gave It now dominates in the world of
expression to evolutionary thought, thought.
To those especially who were
seemed to produce but little im­
Of course there are still many
pression, thouglw probably their in­ who without much, if any, real
early interested in evolution as a
world-conception, there is much
fluence was deeper and more far- thought on the subject, stilf assent
satisfaction in the knowledge that
reaching than it at that time ap­ to the old view’. This element rep­
the doctrine is now generally ac­
peared to be. Literature generally resents the extreme conservatism
ignored the theory. The secular which is the last to break awav
cepted by independent thinkers.
Two generations ago there were but
press, when the subject came to its from traditional ideas and methods,
few comparatively who had any
notice, made fun of it, reflecting in and the last to surrender to the
belief or serious interest in the “ T hrough m yriad form s of being w end­ this respect the popular feeling. progressive thought and spirit of
ing
theory. The mass of people, with
Since it w’as opposed to current the­ the age. But the orthodox churches,
To
be
a
m
an
in
tim
e
th
o
u
’lt
rise
.”
their sefcular teachers and theo­
ological beliefs, they who ventured in whose pulpits the old view has
logical guides, were satisfied with
In “Zoonomia, or the Laws of to advocate it were supposed to be been so stubbornly defended, have
the old a priori hypothesis of Organic Life,” in 1795, and later in “unbelievers.” The theory was as­ not escaped the influence of evolu­
special, miraculous creation. The the poem, “Temple of Nature,” sociated in the common mind with tion. Religious beliefs, and the
man who, here and there, dissented Erasmus Darwin advocated with atheism. The “Vestiges of Crea­ way of looking at things, have been
from this doctrine, either affirmed i great boldness ami eloquence, but tion” was sold in New York and and are there, as elsewhere, under­
belief in the eternity of worlds, in­ not, of course, with scientific pre­ Boston among “infidel” publica­ going a marked change. Among
cluding species, or in the absence cision, the natural origin and de­ tions like the “Age of Reason” and the orthodox clergy the word evo­
of data, declined to express or to velopment of life. Geofirey St. Hi­ “Volney’s Ruins.”
lution is indeed no longer an offen­
form an opinion on the subject. laire and Lamarck, among natural­ The Spiritualists made the de­ sive word. The sermons preached
When the development theory, as it ists, later identified their names velopment theory a part of their and the books written by represen­
was then called—the word evolu­ with the defense of this view’. Em­ philosophy. It was given promi­ tatives of the old faith, show’ that
tion having been later substituted erson, whose intellectual hospitality nence, though treated discursively, evolution has modified their inter­
for it by Herbert Spencer—was made him receptive to truth which in “ Nature, Divine Revelations,” pretation of natural facts as w’ell as
mentioned,
people
generally W
’as in advance of his time, was by Davie, the “Poughkeepsie Seer,” of the scripture, and also their gen­
thought of it as a fantastic notion early interested in evolution, and and with larger knowledge of facts eral modes of thought and their at­
and treated it with ridicule. A in a lecture given on “The Relation and with more definiteness of state­ titude in relation to other religions
serious defence of it was regarded of Man to the Globe,” in 1833, he ment in a work which appeared than their own. The revision of
as an indication of an unbalanced said:
later, entitled “The Arcana of Na­ creeds is but one of the more super­
V
mind and of low’ moral tastes and
“ The most surprising, I may say ture,” by Hudson Tuttle. Some ficial indications of the work of
ideals.
the most sublime fact is that man time in the fifties \\ illiam Denton, evolution in the churches.
For a long time it was not feared is no upstart in the creation, but a Spiritualist and a man of consid­
In 1871 the writer gave a course
by special creationists, for ap­ has been prophesied in Nature for erable scientific attainments, de­ of lectures in Eugene City, Ore.,
parently there was no likelihood a thousand, thousand ages before fended the natural origin of man among other places in that state
that it would ever commend itself he appeared; that from times incal­ by development in a public debate and other states on the Pacific
to reasonable minds. Later, as the culably remote there has been a at Chagrin Falls, ()., with James coast, on Evolution and its rela­
theory gained adherents, it excited progressive preparation for him, an A. Garfield, afterwards president of tion to current theological beliefs.
The opposition of the churches was
religious opposition which was often effort to produce him; the meaner the United States, then a Camp­ aroused and there was preaching
very bitter; even the high character creatures containing the elements bel lite preacher.
against evolution in that city for a
and eminent services of Charles of his structure and pointing at it
In 1859 appeared the “epoch- long time. On returning there in
Darwin were “no safeguard against from every side. . . . His limbs making book,” the “Origin of Spe­ 1873, arrangements were made by
the attacks instinct with malignity are only a more exquisite organiza­ cies.” Supported by Hooker, Hux­ which President T. F. Campbell, of
Monmouth College, was to oppose
and spiced with shameless imperti­ tion—say rather the finish—of the ley and other strong men of science, evolution in a joint debate. The
nence.”
rudimental forms that have been it gave to evolutionary thought an discussion occurred, was continued
For
sometime
after
the already sweeping the sea and creep­ impulse as remarkable as any in several evenings, and it attracted
publication of Robert Chambers’ ing in the mud; the brother of his the history of the human mind,and large audiences. President Camp­
“Vestiges of Creation,” the theory hand is even now cleaving the Arc­ from that timeevolution has gained bell took the ground that evolution
could not be true because it was a
was without standing among tic sea in the fin of the whale, and ground steadily and rapidly; it has degrading conception and in con­
recognized teachers of science. innumerable ages since was pawing revolutionized zoology, compelled flict with the Word of God. The
Professor Huxley, who did not the marsh in the flipper of the the revision of theological creeds, general feeling was strong against
declare in favor of evolution till Saurian.”
permeated literature, and so com­ evolution and the arguments for it
may at that time have puzzled
after 1858, says:
More familiar to the general pletely established itself among more people than they convinced.
“Within the ranks of the reader today in connection with thinkers of every class that its in- But what no speaker could accom­
biologists at that time (1851-8) I evolution is the oft-quoted poem j fluence is seen in all intellectual plish, was there brought about, as
met nobody except Dr. Grant of where Emerson says:
circles and in all departments of it has been in thousands of places,
the University College, who had a “ A nd striv in g to be m an, th e worm
thought. There is no subject which by a process of growth. On return­
ing to the city in 1888, the third
word to say for evolution, and his M ounts through all th e spires of fo rm .” is not now' studied in the light of time,
the writer found that the
advocacy was not calculated to
evolution. Its principles are freely State University had been estab­
Less
definitely
evolution
is
taught
advance the cause. Outside these
applied to religion as well as to lished there, and that evolution
in
the
early
poems
of
Tennyson,
ranks, the only person known to
language, government, art, etc. was taught in that institution, the
thus
in
“The
Two
Voices,”
which
me whose knowledge and capacity
One rarely meets now a well-in­ works of Professor LeConte being
used as text books. There was no
appeared
in
1842:
compelled respect and who was at
formed man who was not intellec­ longer hostility to the conception
the same time a thorough-going “ O r if th ro u g h low er lives I cam e
tually rigid before modern scien­ among the leading minds. These
Though all exp erien ce p ast became
evolutionist, was Mr. Herbert
tific thought had made any consid­ facts serve to illustrate the rapidity
C onsolidate in m ind and fra m e .”
Spencer, whose acquaintance I
erable progress among common with which the transition from the
Herbert Spencer, more than forty readers, in whose mind the concep­ old to the new thought has been
made, I think, in 1852, and then
going on in all the more enlight­
entered into the bonds of a friend­ years ago, wrote in defense an ex­ tion of evolution has not replaced ened
communities.
ship which, I am happy to think, position of evolution; laying the that of special creation. Although
Such radical changes in so short
foundations
of
that
system
of
uni­
has kuowm no interruption.”
held by many with qualifications a space of time are remarkable.
Notwithstanding the fact that versal evolution to the working out modifying and suiting it to their 1 hey would not have been possible
the publication of the “Origin of of which he has given his life
religious beliefs, which are not en­ in any previous period owing to the
All these writings were read and tirely acceptable to “thorough-going absence of the mental conditions,
Species,” with its promulgation of
products of evolution, which have
the principle of Natural Selection, they had their influence of course, evolutionists,” the essential thought, been important factors in this tran­
gave a wonderful impulse to evolu­ but so general and thoroughly es­ that not creative fiats, but contin­ sition. The conception of evolution
tionary thought, the theory of tablished was the old conception of uity and growth, not miracle, but itself has been slowly evolved, as
evolution had long had its supporters creation by miracle, and of the fix­ law, has prevailed always and well as the state of mind which lias
possible.
and teachers, though they were few ity of species, that the few who, im­ everywhere, has come to be a strong made its acceptance
B. F. UNDERWOOD.
in numbers and lacked data for bued with the idea of the unity of conviction with thinkers generally.
Chicago, 111,