WCP2559

[1]

Registry of land

Dunedin. N. Z^d.

Gov^t. Buildings

6 February 1877

Dear Sir

It gives me much pleasure to acknowledge your letter¹ of 12^th Decr last with enclosure. The latter I handed to the Newspaper and it was published at once of course — glad to get anything form your pen. I do not think that Captⁿ Hutton² is in town just now to reply. It is likely to open up a discussion into thro’ the Press & if it should & be of any interest I shall send you the correspondence. —————

In re the seeds. I shall send you by next Mail a selection of a few of the best varieties representing this corner of the globe some of which I have been very successful in rearing in my own garden and which I think you will get to grow admirably with a little nursing for a time.

I should be glad to hear tell of the Blue Gum coming into favor at home. The rapidity of its growth is astonishing once it gets a proper start. I sowed 6^d. worth of seeds as a [illeg.] wind sowed my garden grounds here over 14 years ago, every one I imagine grew & in less than the 1/2 of that time they had grown to be large trees. When very young they are soft & delicate and won't bear transplanting if over a few inches in height except with the greatest care — they would not stand frost till over two ^three years I should say. ———

I shall be very proud if I can in any other way be of service to you here. I shall try if I can make a collection of [illeg.] ferns and send by & bye — many of our native ferns are very prettty.

With reference to Evolution or that form of it which I understand is Darwinism proper my difficulty has always been that if there be no spiritual world over & above the material & no spiritual powers in & over the Universe of matter as claimed by clergy & spiritualists there is no help for it but accept it — every thing grew to what it is, grew by natural efforts & development — must have done and no alternative.

But on the other hand if there be two such worlds in contact — if there are spiritual powers pervading or even having a point of contact with the natural world, we are bound upon discovering this to be the case to call a halt, despite darwinian lines of progressive ascent ^{here & there} seemingly met ₂ & meeting ₁ & going on ^{most of them with Mule-ish obstinacy} and ask what may be the extent of these powers — what part could they have performed, what part may the not have performed in the very phenomena we are exploring.

And Katie King³ if there was a Katie King (I take this as representing the phenomena grouped under the heading of Materialization) I shall reply — I let go all theories of development so fas as man is concerned till I ascertain what information can be gathered from this source and I claim that she must be heard before any other, for her very appearance upon the scene I imagine tends at once to disprove any necessity for saying that the genus homo crept up by slow stages from a monad setting out upon its [2] journey forward some where about — an eternity ago. The question turns upon the possibility of special creation[.] — It is Natural growth of special creation — and presuming as I do that Katie King was a reality we have here the very thing demonstrated that we wanted to know.

Of various theories then claiming our acceptance, is that not the most reasonable & credible of all of which we have a real specimen brought under our eyes, considering that others are destitute of proof, are mere conjectures beset too with a great deal to bely their validity — In other words seeing that we are living in the midst of a power able to subord^inate matter with the case of thought itself to do its own bidding — even to the creation of the human frame & how much more we know not, — have we not presumptive evidence, & when we cast in the testimony of the sacred writings of various nations, (themselves no mean authority) have we not evidence still greatly stronger — that the first races of men & women were special, sudden, creations, born of spiritual power, not to serve a momentary purpose á la K. K. but sent forth for a permanent & mighty end, to people the earth?

Before Evolutionists go farther in their labours I submit that the first thing they ought to do if professing to be scientific, is to study Spiritualism and ascertain whether it be true or not, and if true, what bearing it has upon their favourite subject — for beyond a doubt it has an important one —

In submitting these thoughts to you I do not presume to argue the matter or to say even that I am either logical or scientific or that my opinion can be of any value — I merely take leave to state the aspect of things as they appear viewed from my humble stand point — I do not exactly know your views & have long been on the outlook to pick up anything from your able pen to clear up the matter hoping to combine some theory of evolution (& some theory is doubtless true) with this spiritual phenomena & man's immortality in both of which I desire to believe.

These subjects are readily discussed here and as I am a member of different Societies open to discuss them, I should be proud at any time to come across a hint given ^{of you,} from one whose opinions carry such weight everywhere. I am particularly anxious upon two points — spirit photography & the materializations & their true bearings upon the question of man's immortality. —

Previous editions of the "Fortnightly" articles I have read & your other principle writings &, I need scarcely add, with great pleasure & profit, indeed who has not, but the field is ever enlarging, and every new Mail we are on the alert to gather something fresh, the latest, from the leaders of public opinion ^{at the great centres of Civilizations} engaged ransacking the Archives of the Universe for the instruction of the masses whose high calling & privilege only it is to sit upon the learner's seats and be taught.

Mail just going.

In haste | I am | yours faithfully | William Christie⁴ [signature]

A. R. Wallace Esq

[3]

Registry of Deeds & Land

Dunetin N. Z^d.

P. S. Having taken it upon me to address you without a formal introduction it is perhaps right that I should say thay any time you are in London if you will turn up the Government list since 1862 you will find the name of your correspondant in this same Depart of the service. I have spent a good part of my leisure time for many years exchanging thoughts with other contributors to the Magazine & of upon scientific & philosophical topics since the balmy days of Holyoake,⁵ Southwell⁶ & Coy⁷ and good old Robert Owen⁸ before he staggered his friends by confessing a New light —

My sympathies long were with them but the heart ever rebelling eventually rebelled — Happier ties and other skies gave birth to other thoughts & other use of time & pen — Mayhaps you will yet be able to get your friend Mr Don [4] & the no less learned author of the famous Belfast address to endorse the still more famous & excellent articles in the Fortnightly & thus take our step towards a happier philosophy. The world is only waiting for the conversion of a few — a certain few — to follow, & I think it is only a question of when & who shall be the honoured Instrument to take the initiative to bring about this great & much desired change. –

My apology for this long letter. It is a failing of mine that when I start upon certain subjects I do not stop till my paper is full. My pen in this case has taken a race beyond where I want it to stop. — —

A. R. Wallace Esq

6 ffeb [sic] 77. | W. 6.