Chap. V. CIVILISED NATIONS. 179 



and this could hardly fail to have had a deteriorating 

 influence on each successive generation. During this 

 same period the Holy Inquisition selected with extreme 

 care the freest and boldest men in order to burn or 

 imprison them. In Spain alone some of the best men — 

 those who doubted and questioned, and without doubting 

 there can be no progress — were eliminated during three 

 centuries at the rate of a thousand a year. The evil 

 which the Catholic Church has thus effected, though 

 no doubt counterbalanced to a certain, perhaps large 

 extent in other ways, is incalculable ; nevertheless, 

 Europe has progressed at an unparalleled rate. 



The remarkable success of the English as colonists 

 over other European nations, which is well illustrated by 

 comparing the progress of the Canadians of English and 

 French extraction, has been ascribed to their " daring 

 " and persistent energy ; " but who can say how the 

 English gained their energy. There is apparently 

 much truth in the belief that the wonderful progress 

 of the United States, as well as the character of the 

 people, are the results of natural selection ; the more 

 energetic, restless, and courageous men from all parts 

 of Europe having emigrated during the last ten or 

 twelve generations to that great country, and having there 

 succeeded best. 27 Looking to the distant future, I do 

 not think that the Rev. Mr. Zincke takes an exaggerated 

 view when he says : 28 " All other series of events — as 

 " that which resulted in the culture of mind in Greece, 

 " and that which resulted in the empire of Rome — only 

 " appear to have purpose and value when viewed in 

 " connection with, or rather as subsidiarv to ... . the 

 " great stream of Anglo-Saxon emigration to the west." 



27 Mr. Gal ton, • Macmillan's Magazine,' August, 1865, p. 325. See, 

 also, ' Nature,' " On Darwinism and National Life," Dec. 1869, p. 184. 



28 ' Last Winter in the United States,' 1868, p. 29. 



N 2 



