THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 227 



on these things with the " calm indifference of the wise," would 

 desire to go further than a superficial comparison of the points 

 in which two things seem, to the unaided eye, to resemble one 

 another. Would he not search, also, for the characters in which 

 they might differ? and would he limit his observations to one 

 particular period of development only ? Not till he had studied 

 the question from all sides and well considered the bearing of many 

 different facts would he commit himself to any general doctrine. 

 But, alas, in these days there is not time for all this, and the only 

 philosophical way is to prove how Yery like one thing is to another, 

 and then affirm that this likeness is conclusive in favour of the con- 

 jecture that both were derived from a common ancestor. Not only 

 are the differences between the two wider than has been supposed, 

 but the resemblances, at an earlier period of development, are very 

 much greater. The argument from likeness may be made to tell 

 against the doctrine in support of which it is advanced as well as 

 in favour of it. But does it never happen that two things which 

 appear like to one pair of eyes, seem to be very unlike when exa- 

 mined by others ? And some might suppose that of all persons 

 likely to be able to form a fair judgment upon so delicate a matter, 

 the microscopical observer by his training, would be probably the 

 fittest. He has been accustomed to look for minute differences, his 

 eye has been well trained for detecting minute points of difference 

 between things that resemble one another generally — but, then, 

 authority will ask with indignation, " Is not a mere microscopist 

 hopelessly disqualified for such a task ?" He who carefully studies 

 minute details will soon find that many of the arguments now re- 

 garded as conclusive in favour of reverting to an extinct philosophy 

 are of little worth. Conjectural Philosophy, however, seems to 

 conclude that an investigator who foolishly allows himself to be 

 influenced in the least degree by the events and lessons of the past, 

 except of the very remotest past, should not be noticed in any way — 

 that prejudges himself, and any opposition to the advanced views 

 from a person so disqualified, ought not to be listened to for an 

 instant and that the tendency of thought demands the forcible sup- 

 pression of all facts and all arguments which do not accord with 

 advanced views on mechanical cerebration, and the evolution of 

 self-multiplying mechanisms from the collocations of passive 

 material particles. 



You will, however, find that the physical intellect is eminently 



