196 THE DARWINIAN THEORY 



Again, if we turn from bodily structure to the 

 other characteristics of man, we find the same 

 tendency to over-population, resulting in the same 

 struggle for existence and the same survival of the 

 fittest. Indeed, it was from the study of Malthus' 

 *' Essay on Population " that Darwin was led to the 

 theory of Natural Selection. So it is with the history 

 of the rise and fall of nations, with the evolution of 

 human speech, customs, and clothing. All alike 

 conform to the same laws as those regulating the 

 structure and habits of other animals. And so with 

 the influence of man on other animals ; the advent 

 of man has simply been the arrival of another 

 animal, better equipped and more cunning, more 

 cruel than any other; acting with supreme selfish- 

 ness ; tolerating the existence of other animals only 

 when they can be made subservient to his own 

 wants or pleasures ; ruthlessly exterminating all that 

 offend or thwart him. His very kindness is merely 

 a nominal exception, for if perchance he appear 

 kindly disposed to certain animals, it is only to 

 satisfy his own selfish ends, that he may fleece 

 them of their coats or pluck them of their feathers 

 to adorn himself; or to fatten them, that they may 

 acquire a flavour more acceptable to his palate. 



Application of the Darwinian Theory to the 

 Language of Man. — Language has been said to be 

 " the one great difference between man and brutes," 

 and an " insurmountable obstacle to the theory of 

 alliance by descent." This has been urged even by 

 those who would accept the theory as applying to 

 all other animals. 



