16 Alfred Russel Wallace, LL. D. 



ABSTRACT OF THE DISCUSSION. 



DR. MARTIN L. HOLBROOK : 



In listening to the able and interesting lecture of Prof. Cope, I 

 could not help wishing that he had given us more detailed information 

 about the personal life of Mr. Wallace Knowledge of the personal 

 characteristics of a writer often greatly helps us to an understanding 

 of his thought and to a due appreciation of the value of his opinions. 

 From a friend who knows Mr. Wallace well, I have obtained some 

 facts concerning him which may be of interest. This friend describes 

 him as a tall man, of distinguished appearance, and excellent balance 

 of temperament. He is a good listener, but not gifted in conversation. 

 When he speaks, however, his words carry conviction, on account of 

 his evident sincerity and intelligence. Mr. Wallace became a spiritu- 

 alist, as Dr. Cope has intimated, through the influence of a very inti- 

 mate friend, who is possessed of mediumistic powers, so called, and he 

 is now as firm as a rock in his belief in the general truth of the spirit- 

 ualistic doctrine. As a scientific observer, he was as accurate and 

 painstaking as Mr. Darwin, and, with him, is entitled to the honor of 

 the discovery of the law of natural selection. 



EX-SURROGATK AfiRAM H. DAILEY : 



I think I was invited here this evening under a misapprehension. 

 I have no personal acquaintance with Mr. Wallace. I only know him 

 through his writings. I have fallen on a similar line of investigation 

 in the phenomena of spirit-communication with Dr. Wallace, and have 

 come to similar conclusions. It is greatly to be regretted that a con- 

 dition of society exists which deprecates such investigations, and that 

 it requires moral heroism in a man like Mr. Wallace to proclaim his 

 belief in the spiritualistic phenomena. I have no reason to doubt that 

 he has exercised the same care in these investigations that he has in 

 his biological studies. 



MR. THADDEUS B. WAKEMAN : 



The lecture of the evening is an able and valuable contribution to 

 the literature of evolution. In his personal character Mr. Wallace 

 stands as high as Darwin. Evolutionists have nothing to apologize 

 for in the characters of the leading advocates of this doctrine. All 

 men, however, have their limitations. Darwin was a great observer 



