From F. E. Abbot   11 May 1871

Dear Sir,

Will you pardon a stranger for venturing to correct your misapprehension that you have “but few supporters” in this country? In your note to Prof. Balch, of New York, which I see printed in the N. Y. World, you express this opinion;¹ and because I think its correctness would be a sad proof of American ignorance and unintelligence, I take the liberty of saying that my own experience convinces me of the very wide acceptance here of the theory of Natural Selection, at least by the abler and younger educated men. Your books, I am informed by publishers, sell with great rapidity, as also those of Mr. Wallace, Huxley, and so forth.² For myself, I think your contest with the old theory of immutable and supernaturally created ⁠⟨⁠spe⁠⟩⁠cies to be what Matthew Ar⁠⟨⁠nol⁠⟩⁠d’s lively Prussian called the war of Prussia against Au⁠⟨⁠str⁠⟩⁠ia—the war of “Geist” with “Ungeist.”³ Although not my⁠⟨⁠s⁠⟩⁠elf entitled to the praise of being a scientific man, I yet take a deep interest in the progress of science; and while at Harvard University I acquired some general knowledge which fits me to understand and appreciate the vast services to science which your “Origin of Species,” “Animals and Plants under Domestication,” and “Descent of Man,” all of which I own, have done and are still doing. Although educated to be a Unitarian minister, and for several years settled as such in New Hampshire, I have ceased to call myself a Christian, and now edit a weekly paper called the Index, advocating absolute freedom of religious th⁠⟨⁠ought.⁠⟩⁠ I venture to send you ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠ of my recent lecture in Bo⁠⟨⁠ston⁠⟩⁠ together with a little pa⁠⟨⁠m⁠⟩⁠phle⁠⟨⁠t⁠⟩⁠ containing some propositions to which I respectfully invite your attention, as furnishing s⁠⟨⁠o⁠⟩⁠me little proof that you are not without adherents in America.⁴ Some articles of mine in the North American Review of 1864 and 1868 on “The Philosophy of Space and Time,” “The Conditioned and the Unconditioned,” and “Philosophical Biology” (the latter a review of Herbert Spencer’s work, which Mr. Spencer thought worthy of replying to in a pamphlet),⁵ led to some correspondence with Mr. J. S. Mill,⁶ to whom I am indebted for various favors, including copies of some of his works. These facts I venture to state merely that you may believe me to be somewhat conversant with the opinions of educated men in America, and therefore qualified ⁠⟨⁠to be⁠⟩⁠ar testimony to the large ⁠⟨⁠influ⁠⟩⁠ence exerted by your evolu⁠⟨⁠tion⁠⟩⁠al theory over American thought. I should think very il⁠⟨⁠l⁠⟩⁠ of my countrymen’s intelligence, ⁠⟨⁠    ⁠⟩⁠, should be ashamed of th⁠⟨⁠ei⁠⟩⁠r dense stupidity, if they fa⁠⟨⁠il⁠⟩⁠ed to appreciate the merit and originality of such labors as yours. I enclose a slip from the very last issue of my paper, to which thousands of reading and thinking Americans respond.⁷

Doubtless you are overrun with correspondence, and I shall not solicit a reply to this. But if you feel able to write a few words only, I shall receive the keenest pleasure from such a favor. Were it not an impertinence, I would ask a photograph, since your generosity to Prof. Balch has inflamed my cupidity; but I beg pardon even for the suggestion.⁸

I have allowed myself already to say too much, and subscribe myself | With the highest respect yours, | Francis E. Abbot.