AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 269 



liowever, that lie has a priori grounds for deciding against any- 

 such liypothesis as that of "J.," if reasoning from facts should 

 fail him. That hypothesis is too closely akin to the practical 

 atheism of the day — " Whatsoever ye do unto the least of these, 

 ye do it unto me," — which makes man himself a spontaneous 

 and accidental production, which divides him at its pleasure and 

 convenience into independent and unlike species, and which finds 

 a sufficient reason for the basest inhumanity, in the assertion that 

 certain races, the negro among them, did not spring from the 

 same " Adam and Eve" Avho inaugurated tJie line of the boastful 

 and tyrannical Caucasian. We did not sa}^ that "J." holds these 

 sentiments, for we do not know; but we do say, that of such 

 theories as he has propounded, this is the legitimate, and in our 

 day, but too prevalent fruitage. 



Mr. Meigs called Mr. Robinson to order at the words, " It is 

 quite conceivable to me that these questions should be puzzlers to 

 believers in such unnatural, and assumed to be supernatural 

 powers of creation, as are taught in a book largely of fables, and 

 accepted as Divine revelation." 



Mr. Meigs said, that this Club expressly excluded politics and 

 theological discussion, as being utterly out of its true province, 

 which was horticulture and agriculture alone. That no argument 

 could be maintained here on those subjects, for facts are to be 

 stated, and these without dispute. A member may say that it 

 snowed last night above Canal street, and that the snow was all 

 beautifully blue. Another member may say that it snowed last 

 night below Canal street, and that the snow was all white. 



And, indeed, it would be anywhere an offence against common 

 decency, as well as evidence of extreme ignorance or vice, to pro- 

 nounce publicly, on any acre in all Christendom, that the Christian 

 revelation was " a book largely of fables." 



For several hundredsof millions of the only enlightened nations 

 on earth now rested their hopes of salvation on it; and myriads of 

 enlightened men have done so since the year of oiu' Lord 33. 

 And as knowledge has increased, so has the Christian faith, and 

 will to the grand conclusion. Sinner as I am, I would not give 

 up my faith in the Bible, for the whole material universe. 



