1S55.] 



THE UNITY OF THE HUMAN RACE. 



229 



of sodium should have been chosen by Divine wisdom in pre- 

 ference to other salts, as the chief constituent of the solid matter 

 of the sea. Apart from its manifold economic applications, I 

 feel assured that some abstract principle is involved in its selec- 

 tion. 1 have been trying to devise some experiments to eluci- 

 date this, but hitherto without success. May not, however, 

 the primary cause of its selection lie in the e.xtremely slight 

 variation which it exhibits in regard to its solubility in water 

 of very different temperatures ? 



Trusting that you will look upon these observations, as they 

 are meant, in the light of a friendly interchange of opinion, 

 I am, dear Sir, most truly yours, 



EDWd. J. CHAPMAN. 



University College, Toronto, Canada West, 

 April 3d, 1855. 



The Unity of the Human Race. 



The question of the unity and common origin of mankind, 

 with the consequent opinions as to the human race consisting of 

 only one, ot of several species, promise, from various causes, 

 to become one of the most prominent scientific problems of our 

 day. The descent of all mankind from a single pair, has indeed 

 until recently been considered, if not as an established point, 

 a5 one scarcely open to dispute. The teachings of Scripture, 

 and especially the Mosaic narrative of creation, were supposed 

 to affirm this with an explicitness which scarcely admitted of 

 discussion. The progress of inquiry, however, in various 

 directions, leading to very remarkable and unforseen conclu- 

 sions relative to the creation and extinction of species, and the 

 geographical distribution of plants and animals, has revived 

 in((uiry in regard to the tenability of the opinion that mankind 

 consists only of a single species, descended from one pair. The 

 interest in the conclusions to which it may lead, has, moreover, 

 been considerably extended throughout the American Conti- 

 nent by the peculiar circumstance) under which different vari- 

 eties of tlie human family are here associated together; though 

 it may perhaps admit of question, how far the prejudices of 

 cast, and the motives of self-interest, or political bias, leave the 

 American of the United States open to the impartial investiga- 

 tion of this important inquiry. 



The most recent work devoted to this subject, is the 

 "Types of Mankind," 'issued only last year from the Philadel- 

 phia Press, by Dr. J. C. Nott, and Geo. R. Gliddon, Esq., but 

 embracing contributions from various distinguished American 

 savans, and one of special interest furnished by Professor 



Aorassiz. The last of these contributions has excited renewed 



.... 

 attention at the present moment, owing to peculiar circui:- 



stances. The vacancy of the Chair of Natural History in the 

 University of Edinburgh, occasioned by the lamented death of 

 Professor Edward Forbes, — noticed in a recent number of the 

 Oanadian Jmtnuil, — has induced some influential men in the 

 Scottish capital to name Professor Agassiz as one peculiarly 

 fitted in many ways to occupy the room of that distinguished 

 naturalist and palaeontologist. The consequence, however, of 

 the first movements, made with a view to recommending this 

 appointment to the officers of the Crown, who are the patrons 

 of the Chair, has been to excite a keen controversy as to the 

 compatibility of the views entertained and advocated by Pro- 

 fessor Agassiz, with tho responsible trust of an educational 

 appointment in one of the national Universities. '• Wc have 

 no fear," says ouo writer, " that the Bible rightly interpreted, 



and the discoveries of Science rightly and thoroughly investi- 

 gated and defined, will ever be found to clash ; because we 

 believe that they are equally, althcugh through difercnt 

 channels, a revelation of the same Deity. But we do believe, 

 and greatly fear, that crude and imperfect speculations, carried 

 on by an ingenious and clever man, such as Agassiz is, in 

 presence of ingenuous and ardent youths, may unsettle the 

 faith of many, and effect a world of mischief." 



We are rather inclined to believe that greater credit is 

 attached to the influence of scientific teaching in producing the 

 scepticism prevailing among some portion of the students of 

 science, than a more rigid investigtition of the premises would 

 be found to justify. Sceptical men of science have indeed not 

 unfrequently made use of their science to defend their scepti- 

 cism, but we are not aware of even one solitary instance which 

 can be produced in which science, even when misinterpreted, 

 has made a sceptic of a believer. Truth need not fear inquiry; 

 and in this question of the unity or plurality of the human 

 species, as in all others, now that it has been broached, the 

 greater latitude there is allowed to free inquiry and discussion, 

 the sooner will its ultimate decision be recognised to be in 

 harmony with Revelation, when rightly interpreted. It is a 

 manifest injustice, however, to speak of the cautiously ex- 

 pressed views of Professor Agassiz as " cnide and imperfect 

 speculations ;" or to represent him as a sceptic, because of his 

 thus exercising the right of private judgment in relation to 

 scientific research. On this subject Dr. Horatio R. Storer, of 

 Boston, an American Physician temporarily resident in Edin- 

 burgh, supplies the following interestinginfoniiation, in a letter 

 addressed to one of the newspapers of t; at city, relative both 

 to the opinions and domestic habits of the disting-uished 

 American Naturalist : — 



" For several years a pupil of his, and for a longer time sliaring 

 largely the privilege of intimate acf|uaintance, I ni;iy be allowed to 

 state, that, so far from being an irreligious man, or expressing opinions 

 that, if properly investigated, would prove him an unbeliever, Profos.'^or 

 Agassiz is at once an earnest and enthusiastic inquirer into the hidden 

 mysteries of past and present life, and a vei-y devout Christian — 

 a believer in the revelation of God through His Word, as in those Ho 

 has made through his works. 



" Into the merits of the question of man's identity of origin, this is 

 not the place to enter ; to properly discuss the arguments that have 

 been brought forward on either side would require many pages and 

 hours. The advocates of several centres of birth and subsequent 

 divergence thence, have only claimed tliat like those of gcolopy as now 

 by all received, yet so latelj' condemned as overturning Scripture, they 

 but render certain evidence given by nature, and otherwise unintelligible, 

 subservient to, and explanatory of, the teachings of the Mosaic record. 

 And, besides, diversity of origin by no means implies diversity of 

 sjiccics, nor is it so used. 



" iNevcr have I heard .Agassiz sny one word implying, nor do I 

 believe he holds, that any tribe or variety of man, however dogriidcd, 

 whether black or not, lias not a living soul, capable, under favourable 

 circumstances, of indefinite developiflcnt, and of becoming fitted for 

 the Christian's heaven. 



" Among other courses of popular lectures delivered by him, many 

 of which have been repeated in various parts of America, and most 

 fully attended, was one several years since upon "Ibe Plan of the 

 Creation." No one could have heard thi.s course, cither in whole or 

 in part, without a quickened faith in tho Alniighiy, All-wise, AU- 

 loving Creator. 



'• His religious views ore very strong and decided. The circum- 

 stances of his early life in Switzerland could indeed but have rendered 

 them so, his father having been a clergyman, and, 1 think, of Lutlieran 

 tenets. That father's old frieml, now or lately pastor of a Gerninn 

 Church in New Orleans, followed the son to Aniericii, devotedly 

 attached to him, and for a long time was hi.i domestic chaplain. Those 

 quaint and fervent home religious services, at which I Uiivo been 

 present, arc still vividly before uic." 



