i862.] EVOLUTION AND TORYISM. \yy 



and told him that the Boston dinner, &c. &c, had quite 

 turned my stomach, that I almost thought it would be good 

 for the peace of the world if the United States were split up ; 

 on the other hand, I said that I groaned to think of the 

 slave-holders being triumphant, and that the difficulties of 

 making a line of separation were fearful. I wonder what he 

 will say Your notion of the Aristocrat being ken- 

 speckle, and the best men of a good lot being thus easily 

 selected is new to me, and striking. The ' Origin ' having 

 made you in fact a jolly old Tory, made us all laugh heartily. 

 I have sometimes speculated on this subject ; primogeniture* 

 is dreadfully opposed to selection ; suppose the first-born 

 bull was necessarily made by each farmer the begetter of his 

 stock! On the other hand, as you say, ablest men are con- 

 tinually raised to the peerage, and get crossed with the older 

 Lord-breeds, and the Lords continually select the most beau- 

 tiful and charming women out of the lower ranks ; so that a 

 good deal of indirect selection improves the Lords. Certain- 

 ly I agree with you the present American row has a very 

 Torifying influence on us all. I am very glad to hear you 

 are beginning to print the ' Genera ; ' it is a wonderful satis- 

 faction to be thus brought to bed, indeed it is one's chief 

 satisfaction, I think, though one knows that another bantling 

 will soon be developing. . . . 



* My father had a strong feeling as to the injustice of primogeniture, 

 and in a similar spirit was often indignant over the unfair wills that ap- 

 pear from time to time. He would declare energetically that if he were 

 law-giver no will should be valid that was not published in the testator's 

 lifetime ; and this he maintained would prevent much of the monstrous 

 injustice and meanness apparent in so many wills. 



