evolution and ethics and other essays-第37部分

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high　position　in　the　Army。　When　he　left；　a　large　public　meeting；
presided　over　by　a　popular　Methodist　minister；　passed　a　vote　of
sympathy　with　him。〃

＇284＇　Is　this　true　or　false？

　　　2。　〃On　Saturday　last；　about　noon；　Mr。　Sumner；　the　author　of　the
book；　and　Mr。　Fred　Perry；　the　Salvation　Army　printer；　accompanied　by　a
lawyer；　went　down　to　Messrs。　Imrie　and　Graham's　establishment；　and
asked　for　all　the　manuscript；　stereotype　plates；　&c。；　of　the　book。　Mr。
Sumner　explained　that　the　book　had　been　sold　to　the　Army；　and；　on　a
cheque　for　the　amount　due　being　given；　the　printing　material　was
delivered　up。〃

Did　these　paragraphs　appear　in　the　〃Toronto　Telegram〃　of　April　24th；
1889；　or　did　they　not？　Are　the　statements　they　contain　true　or　false？

3。　〃Public　interest　in　the　fate　or　probable　outcome　of　that　mysterious
book　called　'The　New　Papacy；　or；　Behind　the　Scenes　in　the　Salvation
Army；'　continues　unabated；　though　the　line　of　proceedings　by　the
publisher　and　his　solicitor；　Mr。　Smoke；　of　Watson；　Thorne；　Smoke；　and
Masten；　has　not　been　altered　since　yesterday。　The　book；　no　doubt；　will
be　issued　in　some　form。　So　far　as　known；　only　one　complete　copy
remains；　and　the　whereabouts　of　this　is　a　secret　which　will　be
profoundly　kept。　It　is　safe　to　say　that　if　the　Commissioner　kept　on
guessing　until　the　next　anniversary；　he　would　not　strike　the　secluded
＇285＇　location　of　the　one　volume　among　five　thousand　which　escaped；
when　he　and　his　assistant；　Mr。　Fred　Perry；　believed　they　had　cast
every　vestige　of　the　forbidden　work　into　the　fiery　furnace。　On　Tuesday
last；　when　the　discovery　was　made　that　a　copy　of　'The　New　Papacy'　was
in　existence；　Publisher　Britnell；　of　Yonge　Street；　was　at　once　the
suspected　holder；　and　in　a　short　time　his　book…store　was　the　resort　of
army　agents　sent　to　reconnoitre〃　（〃Toronto　News；〃　April　28th；　1889）。

Is　this　a　forgery；　or　is　it　not？　Is　it　in　substance　true　or　false？

When　Mr。　Trotter　has　answered　these　inquiries　categorically；　we　may
proceed　to　discuss　the　question　of　interpolations　in　Mr。　Sumner's
book。

　　　　　　　　　　I　am；　Sir；　your　obedient　servant；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　T。　H。　Huxley。

＇On　the　26th　of　December　a　letter；　signed　J。　T。　Cunningham；　late　Fellow　of
University　College；　Oxford；　called　forth　the　following　commentary。＇

＇286＇



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VIII

The　〃Times；〃　December　29th；　1890

Sir；If　Mr。　Cunningham　doubts　the　efficacy　of　the　struggle　for
existence；　as　a　factor　in　social　conditions；　he　should　find　fault　with
Mr。　Booth　and　not　with　me。

〃I　am　labouring　under　no　delusion　as　to　the　possibility　of　inaugurating
the　millennium　by　my　social　specific。　In　the　struggle　of　life　the
weakest　will　go　to　the　wall；　and　there　are　so　many　weak。　The　fittest
in　tooth　and　claw　will　survive。　All　that　we　can　do　is　to　soften　the
lot　of　the　unfit；　and　make　their　suffering　less　horrible　than　it　is　at
present〃　（〃In　Darkest　England；〃　p。　44）。

That　is　what　Mr。　Cunningham　would　have　found　if　he　had　read　Mr。　Booth's
book　with　attention。　And；　if　he　will　bestow　equal　pains　on　my　second
letter；　he　will　discover　that　he　has　interpolated　the　word　〃wilfully〃
in　his　statement　of　my　〃argument；〃　which　runs　thus：　〃Shutting　his　eyes
to　the　necessary　consequences　of　the　struggle　for　life；　the　existence
of　which　he　admits　as　fully　as　any　Darwinian；　Mr。　Booth　tells　men
whose　evil　case　is　one　of　those　consequences　that　envy　is　a
corner…stone　of　our　competitive　system。〃　Mr。　　＇287＇　Cunningham's
physiological　studies　will　have　informed　him　that　the　process　of
〃shutting　the　eyes；〃　in　the　literal　sense　of　the　words；　is　not　always
wilful；　and　I　propose　to　illustrate；　by　the　crucial　instance　his　own
letter　furnishes；　that　the　〃shutting　of　the　eyes〃　of　the　mind　to　the
obvious　consequences　of　accepted　propositions　may　also　be　involuntary。
At　least；　I　hope　so。

　　　1。　〃Sooner　or　later；〃　says　Mr。　Cunningham；　〃the　population　problem
will　block　the　way　once　more。〃　What　does　this　mean；　except　that
multiplication；　excessive　in　relation　to　the　contemporaneous　means　of
support；　will　create　a　severe　competition　for　those　means？　And　this
seems　to　me　to　be　a　pretty　accurate　〃reflection　of　the　conceptions　of
Malthus〃　and　the　other　poor　benighted　folks　of　a　past　generation　at
whom　Mr。　Cunningham　sneers。

　　　2。　By　way　of　leaving　no　doubt　upon　this　subject；　Mr。　Cunningham
further　tells　us；　〃The　struggle　for　existence　is　always　going　on；　of
course；　let　us　thank　Darwin　for　making　us　realize　it。〃　It　is　pleasant
to　meet　with　a　little　gratitude　to　Darwin　among　the　epigoni　who　are
squabbling　over　the　heritage　he　conquered　for　them；　but　Mr。
Cunningham's　personal　expression　of　that　feeling　is　hasty。　For　it　is
obvious　that　he　has　not　〃realized〃　the　significance　of　Darwin's
teachingindeed；　I　fail　to　discover　in　Mr。　　Cunningham's　letter　any
sign　that　he　has　even　〃realized〃　what　＇288＇　he　would　be　at。　If　the
〃struggle　for　existence　is　always　going　on〃；　and　if；　as　I　suppose　will
be　granted；　industrial　competition　is　one　phase　of　that　struggle；　I
fail　to　see　how　my　conclusion　that　it　is　sheer　wickedness　to　tell
ignorant　men　that　〃envy〃　is　a　corner…stone　of　competition　can　be
disputed。

Mr。　Cunningham　has　followed　the　lead　of　that　polished　and　instructed
person；　Mr。　Ben　Tillett；　in　rebuking　me　for　（as　the　associates　say）
attacking　Mr。　　Booth's　personal　character。　Of　course；　when　I　was
writing；　I　did　not　doubt　that　this　very　handy；　though　not　too　clean；
weapon　would　be　used　by　one　or　other　of　Mr。　Booth's　supporters。　And　my
action　was　finally　decided　by　the　following　considerations：　I　happen
to　be　a　member　of　one　of　the　largest　life　insurance　societies。　There
is　a　vacancy　in　the　directory　at　present；　for　which　half　a　dozen
gentlemen　are　candidates。　Now；　I　said　to　myself；　supposing　that　one　of
these　gentlemen　（whose　pardon　I　humbly　beg　for　starting　the
hypothesis）；　say　Mr。　A。；　in　his　administrative　capacity　and　as　a　man
of　business；　has　been　the　subject　of　such　observations　as　a　Judge　on
the　Bench　bestowed　upon　Mr。　Booth；　is　he　a　person　for　whom　I　can
properly　vote？　And；　if　I　find；　when　I　go　to　the　meeting　of　the
policy…holders；　that　most　of　them　know　nothing　of　this　and　other
evidences　of　what；　by　the　mildest　judgment；　must　be　termed　Mr。　A。's
unfitness　for　administrative　＇289＇　responsibilities；　am　I　to　let　them
remain　in　their　ignorance？　I　leave　the　answer　and　its　application　to
men　of　sense　and　integrity。

The　mention　of　Mr。　Cunningham's　ally　reminds　me　that　I　have　omitted　to
thank　Mr。　Tillett　for　his　very　useful　and　instructive　letter；　and　I
hasten　to　repair　a　neglect　which　I　assure　Mr。　Tillett　was　more
apparent　than　real。　Mr。　　Tillett's　letter　is　dated　December　20th。　On
the　21st　the　following　pregnant　（however　unconscious）　commentary　upon
it　appeared　in　〃Reynolds's　Newspaper〃：…

〃I　have　always　maintained　that　the　Salvation　Army　is　one　of　the
mightiest　Socialistic　agencies　in　the　country；　and　now　Professor
Huxley　comes　in　to　confirm　that　view。　How　could　it　be　otherwise？　The
fantastic　religious　side　of　Salvationism　will　disappear　in　the　course
of　time；　and　what　will　be　left？　　A　large　number　of　men　and　women　who
have　been　organized；　disciplined；　and　taught　to　look　for　something
better　than　their　present　condition；　and　who　have　become　public
speakers　and　not　afraid　of　ridicule。　There　you　have　the　raw　materials
for　a　Socialist　army。〃

Mr。　Ben　Tillett　evidently　knows　Latin　enough　to　construe　proximus
ardet。

I　trust　that　the　public　will　not　allow　themselves　to　be　led　away　by
the　false　issues　which　are　＇290＇　dangled　before　them。　A　man　really　may
love　his　fellow…men；　cherish　any　form　of　Christianity　he　pleases；　and
hold　not　only　that　Darwinism　is　〃tottering　to　its　fall；〃　but；　if　he
pleases；　the　equally　sane　belief　that　it　never　existed；　and　yet　may
feel　it　his　duty　to　oppose；　to　the　best　of　his　capacity；　despotic
Socialism　in　all　its　forms；　and；　more　particularly；　in　its　Boothian
disguise。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　am；　Sir；　your　obedient　servant；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　T。H。　Huxley。

＇Persons　who　have　not　had　the　advantage　of　a　classical　education　might
fairly　complain　of　my　use　of　the　word　epigoni。　To　say　truth；　I　had
been　reading　Droysen's　〃Geschichte　des　Hellenismus；〃　and　the　familiar
historical　title　slipped　out　unawares。　In　replying　to　me；　however；　the
late　〃Fellow　of　University　College；〃　Oxford；　declares　he　had　to　look
the　word　out　in　a　Lexicon。　I　commend　the　fact　to　the　notice　of　the
combatants　over　the　desirability　of　retaining　the　present　compulsory
modicum　of　Greek　in　our　Universities。＇

＇291＇


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IX。

The　〃Times；〃　December　30th；　1890

Sir；I　am　much　obliged　to　Messrs。　Ranger；　Burton；　and　Matthews　for
their　prompt　answer　to　my　questions。　I　presume　it　applies　to　all　money
collected　by　the　agency　of　the　Salvation　Army；　though　not　specifically
given　for　the　purposes　of　the　〃Christian　Mission〃　named　in　the　deed　of
1878；　to　all　sums　raised　by　mortgage　upon　houses　and　land　so　given；
and；　further；　to　funds　subscribed　for　Mr。　Booth's　various　projects；
which　have　no　apparent　reference　to　the　objects　of　the　〃Christian
Mission〃　as　defined　in　the　deed。　　Otherwise；　to　use　a　phrase　which　has
become　classical；　〃it　does　not　assist　us　much。〃　But　I　must　leave　these
points　to　persons　learned　in　the　law。

And；　indeed；　with　many　thanks　to　you；　Sir；　for　the　amount　of　valuable
space　which　you　have　allowed　me　to　occupy；　I　now　propose　to　leave　the
whole　subject。　My　sole　purpose　in　embarking　upon　an　enterprise　which
was　extremely　distasteful　to　me　was　to　prevent　the　skilful　〃General；〃
or　rather　〃Generals；〃　who　devised　the　plan　of　campaign　from　sweeping
all　before　them　with　a　rush。　I　found　the　pass　already　held　by　such
stout　defenders　as　Mr。　　Loch　and　the　Dean　＇292＇　of　Wells；　and；　with
your　powerful　help；　we　have　given　time　for　the　reinforcements；　sure　to
be　sent　by　the　abundant；　though　somewhat　slowly　acting；　common　sense
of　our　countrymen；　to　come　up。

I　can　no　longer　be　useful；　and　I　return　to　more　congenial　occupations。

　　　　　　　　I　am；　Sir；　your　obedient　servant；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　T。　H。　Huxley。

The　following　letter　appeared　in　the　〃Times〃　of　January　2nd；　1891：

〃Dear　Mr。　Tillett；I　have　not　had　patience