2O4 



APPENDIX. 



can be proved, or vice versd; which 

 is no proof of, and does not even 

 affect, the question either way ; for 

 the negative or the affirmative may 

 be true, irrespective of the igno- 

 rance and denial, or the knowledge 

 and assertion, of people interesting 

 themselves in the questions at issue. 

 These are all doubtless truisms, but 

 although truisms not the less 

 worthy of being kept in mind when 

 we treat any subject of which the 

 mind can or does take cognizance. 



Nor could it be almost imagined 

 that, in a constitutional country, in 

 time of peace, with the courts in 

 full operation, any question that is 

 actionable should be denied even a 

 hearing by a competent court, on 

 the plea of favouring the defendant, 

 or on account of the absence of the 

 plaintiff (provided he employs an 

 accredited attorney, and gives 

 security for costs), or to gratify 

 popular prejudices against a suit 

 that is legal and moral in its nature. 

 The same may be said of the laws 

 and courts of criticism, for if they 

 are in a sound state they will at 

 once entertain, discuss, and settle 

 any and every question suitable to 

 the journal before which it is 

 brought. It is unquestionably 

 within their sphere to entertain de- 

 murrers, and see that they are re- 

 spected, to the extent at least that 

 no one can be allowed to make as- 

 sertions, and assertions only, after 

 they have been repeatedly denied, 

 with proofs of denial, or arguments 

 showing them to be untenable, or 

 highly improbable. They should 

 also see that no denial or assertion 

 is permitted unless it is accompanied 

 by evidence, or an argument in its 

 favour. 



As illustrative of what I mean by 

 demurrers, I give the article entitled 

 Mr. Frank Buckland on English 

 Snakes, in which he said : 



" The mother generally deposits them 



Sier eggs] in a dung-hill or heap of 

 ecaying vegetable matter, and gives 



herself no more concern about them," 

 (P- 30- 



To which my reply read thus : 



" It would be interesting to know how 

 Mr. Buckland arrived at that conclusion, 

 that is, how he knew that the mother 

 ' gave herself no more concern about 

 them,' but left the young to come into 

 the world and take care of themselves 

 in the best way they could," (p. 31). 



And I argued, inductively and by 

 analogy from the habit of other ovip- 

 arous reptilia taking care of their 

 progeny, that what Mr. Buckland 

 asserted was not true ; leaving him 

 to make good his assertion by proof, 

 positive or otherwise. 



If it is wrong to believe that to be 

 a truth which has never been in- 

 vestigated, it becomes culpable to 

 enunciate it as such. No intelli- 

 gent and self-respecting man will 

 ever be knowingly and deliberately 

 guilty of that, and far less of deny- 

 ing that to be a fact which he does 

 not know to be a fact or not, or act 

 factiously in the matter. Indeed it 

 may be asserted that such a person 

 has no moral right, not merely to 

 publicly or privately express an 

 opinion on a great variety of sub- 

 jects, but even to entertain one, 

 unless he has thoroughly examined 

 them, or had it done for him, when 

 the most that he might be justified 

 in saying would be that such a thing 

 is possible or impossible, probable 

 or improbable, and be willing and 

 ready to give his reasons at length 

 for his opinion, whatever it might 

 be. Candour, in short, is so emi- 

 nently a virtue, that it might have 

 been worshipped (as it doubtless 

 was) in heathen times, as a deity, 

 having a temple in every parish, 

 and a shrine at every cross-road, 

 with the notice : " No dogmatist 

 allowed here." 



With so much that is aggressive 

 in this Appendix, and in the work 

 to which it belongs, and conse- 

 quently with so much that must be 



