181 
even were we to grant that a new variety might, under special 
influences, become so distinct as to form a new species, that 
would still leave us very far short of transmutation from one 
genus to another, and farther still from the change from 
vegetable to animal life, or from any of the inferior animals to 
man. All beyond the probable, but not proved, origin of 
species, is mere speculation, with not a ghost of a proof in 
support of it. And when Sir Charles Lyell admits that the 
palaeontological facts are as yet against the theory, what does 
that mean ? Namely, that, so far as we know, there have not 
ever been the necessary graduated forms in existence which 
the theory requires before it can be thought possible even by 
its advocates. But, of course, we must remember, that even 
if the gradations in nature were found to be finer and more 
shaded off one into another than they are yet known to be, 
that would not by any means prove that any one form had 
been developed out of another. At present, and within the 
historical period, this does not happen, and has never hap- 
pened. To suppose that it did take place continually, though 
a long time back,” is to assert that nature’s laws have 
been reversed. Ido not understand how that can ever be 
established upon scientific or inductive grounds ! 
* [At the meeting of the British Association at Birmingham 
last year, I ventured to oppose the polygenous theory, chiefly by 
an appeal to all tbe facts of wbicb we have knowledge relating 
to the savage and civilized races of mankind. The monkey 
theory was then left out altogether ; for, to say truth, it had 
not a single advocate who ventured to raise bis voice in tbe 
ethnological section [ Mr. John Crawford, tbe venerable Presi- 
dent of tne Ethnological Society, plainly denounced it; though 
iie is one of tbe most strenuous advocates of tbe polygenous 
n^ory wbicb derives all tbe civilized races of mankind from 
savage piogenitors. But when be was asked to give a single 
instance of a .savage race who had civilized themselves, — as 
some justification of bis extraordinary faith that all the civili- 
zation of the world owes its origin to savagery !— be was 
ominously silent. 
As the discussion of this question has thus already been 
approached from tbe point of view both of tbe so-called 
-Darwinians and of those who bold a polygenous theory wbicb 
makes out man to have been originally a savage,— there can be 
no reason why, on tbe present occasion, and especially in this 
* Vide Note, p. 214. 
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