602 LOUIS AGASSIZ. 



ada, in their contact with the Anglo-Saxons 

 as well as with the French, testifies equally 

 to the pernicious influence of amalgamation 

 of races. The experience of the Old World 

 points in the same direction at the Cape of 

 Good Hope, in Australia ; everywhere, in 

 fact, history speaks as loudly in favor of the 

 mixture of clearly related nations as she does 

 in condemnation of the amalgamation of re- 

 mote races. We need only think of the origin 

 of the English nation, of that of the United 

 States, etc. The question of breeding in-and- 

 in, that of marriage among close relations, is 

 again quite distinct. In fact, there is hardly 

 a more complicated subject in physiology, or 

 one requiring nicer discriminations, than that 

 of the multiplication of man, and yet it is 

 constantly acted upon as if it needed no 

 special knowledge. I beseech you, therefore, 

 while you are in a position to exert a leading 

 influence in the councils of the nation upon 

 this most important subject to allow no pre- 

 conceived view, no favorite schemes, no im- 

 mediate object, to bias your judgment and 

 mislead you. I do not pretend to be in pos- 

 session of absolute truth. I only urge upon 

 you the consideration of unquestionable facts 

 before you form a final opinion and decide 



