PREFACE. xxv 



weeks, have been made by Social-democracy against 

 the revered and reverend person of the German 

 Emperor have raised a storm of righteous indignation 

 of such violence that calm judgment is entirely over- 

 thrown, and that many even of the most liberal of 

 liberal politicians not only impetuously urge us to the 

 severest measures against the Utopian doctrines of 

 social democracy but, far over-shooting the mark, 

 demand that free-doctrine and free-thought, that free- 

 dom of the press and even freedom of conscience shall 

 be thrown into the narrowest fetters. Can this re- 

 action, lurking in the background, find any more 

 welcome support than is afforded by the mere demand 

 of such a man as Virchow for restriction of liberty in 

 teaching ? And if he makes our present doctrines of 

 evolution in general and the theory of descent in 

 particular responsible for the mad doctrines of social- 

 democracy, it is but a natural and just consequence 

 when the famous Xew-Prussian " Kreuz-Zeitung " 

 throws all the blame of these treasonable attempts of 

 the democrats Hodel and Nobiling as in fact it quite 

 lately did directly on the theory of descent, and 

 especially on the hated doctrine of the " descent of 

 man from apes." And the danger which threatens us 

 shows a still graver aspect when we consider how 

 great an influence Virchow has at the present day as 

 an advanced liberal, and how he is regarded in the 



