442 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



stood, and I knew there was a strong desire on the part of many to 

 read everything he might say in further interpretation and elucida- 

 tion of them. His distinctive doctrines were now vigorously and 

 formally attacked by a sagacious adversary, loDg prepared by his spe- 

 cial studies to put them to the severest test. For the same reason 

 that I encouraged Mr. Spencer to give time to the discussion, I desired 

 that his readers in this country should be put in ready possession of it 

 when done. I may add that in this I was impelled by the same gen- 

 eral motives that had prompted me for many years to do what I could 

 to bring Mr. Spencer's ideas before the American people. 



But there were special reasons which made me wish that the publi- 

 cation should be issued by D. Appleton & Co. This house had printed 

 all of Spencer's works ; and as a present statement of his religious 

 views would be an important addition to them, and would naturally 

 be called for in connection with them, it seemed important that his 

 controversy with Harrison should be brought out in a reputable and 

 permanent shape to take its place with his other books. Besides, 

 there was a high degree of certainty that the discussion would be 

 published by somebody. The names of the eminent contestants, and 

 the interest felt by a large number of people in the subject, were 

 evineed by a strong demand for the publication. The discussion in 

 its separate form was called for by the friends of Mr. Harrison and 

 by the friends of Mr. Spencer, and by others who were friends of nei- 

 ther. It was open to anybody to print it, and there was every proba- 

 bility that it would be picked up and issued in a cheap, catchpenny 

 edition, which is now so common with publications of every kind. I 

 desired, therefore, that the Appletons should bring it out in a respect- 

 able shape, and at a moderate price, that the book might be had at 

 any time in a form suitable for preservation. 



I protest that these considerations were not vitiated by any covet- 

 ous desire or purpose whatever. Mr. Harrison says it is a case of 

 "piracy"; but, so far as this involves the taking of his property 

 without compensation, there was no thought of it. In his opening 

 letter he virtually accused Mr. Spencer of collusion in the piracy 

 of his articles, from a sordid intention. Judged by this extraor- 

 dinary letter, Mr. Harrison's religion of humanity consists chiefly in 

 imputing vile motives to his fellow-men. He said, "May I ask if 

 it is proposed to hand you the profits of a book of which I am (in 

 part) the author, or are these to be retained by your American pub- 

 lishers and friend ? " Evidently the pecuniary consideration was up- 

 permost in his own mind. But he had here gone too far. Every- 

 body recognized the outrage. The reader will note the striking dif- 

 ference in tone, amounting to a collapse, between his first and his 

 second letters. He withdrew the offensive insinuation so far as Mr. 

 Spencer was concerned, saying, " I know too well his great generos- 

 ity in money matters to suppose that any question of profit crossed 



