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1872. ] 293 [ Price. 
human species, and if men and women were as eareful in mating, as men 
are when breeding their horses, cattle, sheep and pigs, to consider whethe1 
those they select are well endowed with bodily and mental perfections, 
the physical and moral qualities of families might also be alike improved ; 
though the unattractive among mankind would still not be disappointed 
in the opportunity of mating, if they have the means of livelihood or 
the ability to win it ; the want of which constitutes the most serious check 
to matrimony and the increase of population. But mankind are neither 
so careful in selecting what shall be the qualities of the father or mother 
of their children, as farmers are of the pedigree of their stock ; nor are 
men or women so careful of their own training and feeding, and the preser- 
vation of their health and beauty by temperance and exercise, so that they 
are more derelict in duty to themselves than to their animals, and the 
race has not been improved as it should have been. Yet, it may well be 
questioned whether the human race is improved in the aggregate by sexual 
selection, since generally men and women do marry, and since the women 
who fail to marry from the absence of personal attraction, are probably 
outnumbered by those whose personal attractions, combined with their 
moral weakness, causes them to become the victims of ‘the social evil,”’ 
of which sterility is one of the retributions. Yet the race, is undergoing 
a constant physical and. moral improvement; but it proceeds from 
Christian civilization ; a civilization that does believe in an ever-living 
watchful Creator, and that would suffer terrible relapse, if that belief were 
lost. This is said on the proof of boundless facts. 
If we consider the conditions of all life as found in nature, before man 
began to reduce it to his dominion, and the methods of his procedure and 
its results, just as the evolutionists have described, we shall be able to 
value their scientific significance, and to test the truth of the theory 
raised upon the narrated facts. Darwin in selecting his illustrations says, 
as to dogs and their various breeds, ‘that some small part of the difference 
is due to their having descended from distinct species ;’’ “In regard to 
sheep and goats I can form no decided opinion.”” The humped Indian 
cattle have a different origin from the European cattle, which are supposed 
“to have had two or three wild progenitors.’’ With respect to horses he 
says, ‘I am doubtfully inclined to believe, in opposition to several authors, 
that all the races belong to the same species.’’ As to fowls, ‘it appears 
to me almost certain that all are descendants of the wild Indian fowl.” 
As to ducks and rabbits, ‘‘the evidence is clear that they are all descended 
from the common wild duck and rabbit.’’ ‘‘Great as the differences are 
between the breeds of pigeons, I am fully convinced that the common 
opinion of naturalists is correct, namely, that all are descended from the 
rock pigeons.’’—Darwin on Origin of Species, p. 30 to 35. Now what 
is the import of this? First, that by nature, or the Cause of nature, when 
or wherever mau has not interfered to modify, the demarcations of species 
have been well and persistently defined. Through all the geological ages 
and downward to the time present, the operations of nature, when let 
alone were and are simple and true, without tendency to variations, or 
