INTIMIDA TION. 



125 



frighten multitudes of the ignorant into a confession of 

 belief in the omnipotence of physical force, rather than 

 to appeal to the reason of the thoughtful few. 



I do not see why we should submit to intellectual intimi- 

 dation, though, judging from the language employed, some 

 terrible punishment must await those who dare to differ from 

 physical authority. If the facts and arguments of those 

 who support the force and matter side of the question are 

 correct they will prevail, but the rather violent language 

 employed might be supposed to indicate a suspicion of real 

 weakness on the part of those who speak strongly. The 

 problems assumed to have been solved by the new philo- 

 sophy have been debated over and over again. The ques- 

 tions are not determined, nor are they likely to be deter- 

 mined. It is quite fair to re-open any of them for fresh 

 discussion and investigation at any time, and to re-examine 

 every particular fact which has been adduced in their 

 support. 



But I believe that many with solid grounds for enter- 

 taining an opinion at variance with that which happened to 

 be popular at the time have been deterred from expressing 

 it; nay, objected to say what they thought, simply because 

 they did not like to be held up to ridicule, or spoken of 

 contemptuously. Nor can such objection be regarded as 

 unreasonable or stigmatised as weak, for when several skilful 

 dialecticians have committed themselves to a doctrine, and 

 have made up their minds to fight for it, every one who 

 enters the lists may feel quite sure that he will be over- 

 matched; and, it may be, altogether irrespective of the merits 

 of the question at issue, he will be overwhelmed by his 

 opponents, and will then be assuredly held up to the public 



