c? 



210 DARWINISM STATED BY DARWIN HIMSELF. 



the summit of civilization, owe little or none of their 

 superiority to direct inheritance from the old Greeks, 

 though they owe much to the written works of that won- 

 derful people. 



The remarkable success of the English as 



Pa<*e 142. 



colonists, compared to other European nations, 



has been ascribed to their "daring and persistent ener- 

 gy"; a result which is well illustrated by comparing the 

 progress of the Canadians of English and French ex- 

 traction ; 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, is the result of natural 

 selection ; for the more energetic, restless, and coura- 

 geous men from all parts of Europe have emigrated during 

 the last ten or twelve generations to that great country, 

 and have there succeeded best. 



ALL CIVILIZED NATION'S ARE THE DESCENDANTS OF 

 BARBARIANS. 



The evidence that all civilized nations are 

 the descendants of barbarians consists, on the 

 one side, of clear traces of their former low condition in 

 still-existing customs, beliefs, language, etc. ; and, on the 

 other side, of proofs that savages are independently able 

 to raise themselves a few steps in the scale of civilization, 

 and have actually thus risen. The evidence on the first 

 head is extremely curious, but can not be here given : I 

 refer to such cases as that of the art of enumeration, 

 which, as Mr. Tylor clearly shows by reference to the 

 words still used in some places, originated in counting 

 the fingers, first of one hand and then of the other, and 



