46 Allen, " Truth versus Error."^ [ A a u n k 



what I said in my former paper, and urge my younger colleagues 

 not to be beguiled by the voice of the charmer, but to repudiate 

 this Canon XL and all its mischievous doctrines. Have nothing 

 to do with precepts that would advise you to choose Error before 

 Truth, and elevate Wrong over Right, but stand firmly for gram- 

 matical purity and orthographical correctness, a position which, if 

 stoutly held, will not cause you in after years to look back upon 

 your writings with regret, that you knowingly permitted them to 

 be disfigured by the blunders of others. Use your influence to 

 overthrow the Doctrine of Error, that with siren voice has been 

 sung in your ears so long, and the ' few ' adherents that are now 

 unwillingly accorded to the ranks of the opponents of this gospel 

 will become a mighty force to battle for the Truth. Sometimes, 

 however, it requires but a little leaven to permeate a large lump 

 and cause it to change its aspect, and the conflict may not be so 

 severe as the Advocates of Error would like to have as believe. 

 As for my friend, who has honored my paper with his criticism, 

 and whose eminent services to Natural Science have been so 

 widely and deservedly acknowledged, and whose long and suc- 

 cessful labors in declaring nature's truths makes his position on 

 this subject the more incongruous, of him, in this instance, I am 

 obliged mournfully to say, as did the old prophet of his illustrious 

 but wilful nation, " Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone." 



"TRUTH VERSUS ERROR." 



BY J. A. ALLEN. 



It is seldom that a title for an essay is more unhappily chosen 

 than in the case of Mr. Elliot's " Truth versus Error." In this 

 long effusion on the subject of Canon XL of the A. O. U. code 

 he betrays " the weakness of his cause," to borrow the phrase- 

 ology of my esteemed disputant, by beautifully illustrating the 

 maxim he has himself quoted, namely, " When you have a bad 

 cause, abuse the opposing counsel." With this feature removed 



