WCP2929

[1]¹

Woodford,

Bennington County,

Vermont

March 6^th. 1909.

My dear Mr. Wallace:-

Naturally, you will receive many letters from those who have arguments for or against your views, lately set out in the "Independent"². This note is not to contain arguments, nor to seek any sort of recognition of any description; and therefore I wish what I may write here, for your perusal, to remain entre nous.

There are two points in your second article³ to which I desire to recall your attention: first, to the last paragraph, beginning thus: "These unavailing efforts to explain the inexplicable"-

I might ask you to not entertain such a gloomy view of "life"; to remember that your own views, as well as those of Darwin⁴ within your own ken were looked upon an absolute non-science.

Please do not yourself assume such an attitude toward the few suggestions that may be contained in what I write for you to read.

When you are "led to the conclusion that beyond and above all terrestrial agencies there is some great source of energy", it is suggested that it is, to the observer who has the right "thread", equally conclusive that all the Effects which Darwin and yourself have noted are the Results of the Operation of Automatic Laws based upon Natural Principles which had their rise from exactly corresponding Adequate⁵ Cause⁵ in the beginning⁵ of⁵ Things.^5,6

The People who see the Effects produced by the most intricate Artificial Organism, such as the modern typesetting machine, may be so completely unaware of any all and all principles and operations fundamental to its being and to its functioning that they conclude that its "life" and consequent action are inexplicable^5,5; and especially so when they are unaware [2]⁸ of the impelling force — more especially still when totally unaware — not even suspecting — the Source of Animation.

One does not need to see the mind of the individual who brought that Organism to life and organization from the elements — the crude iron, brass, and crude force what he need what one needs to know are the Principles and Laws complied⁶ with, and to learn these one must not conclude they are inexplicacble, since there is the organism itself, as an effect, to study.

Haeckel⁷ is as wrong in concluding that "every ultimate cell is a conscious, intelligent individual, that knows where to go and goes there", as it would be to conclude that each atoms of which the steamship-material is composed, or any device therein, knows [sic] where to go and goes there⁸.

None of these possess inherent volition, and neither does, nor can, the single cell⁵ in "life": They are the subjects, the agents, of their master, Force⁵, and its Intrinsic⁵ Principles⁵ and Laws⁵, acquired by the operation of the Adequate⁵ Cause⁵ — that is, their properties, tendencies, and being are intrinsic⁵ qualities⁵ that give them law⁵, as in the chemico-geologic world the intrinsic qualities of the diamond give it law.

And it may here be said that what is called instinct in lower animals is merely the exhibition of intrinsic law, that they cannot disobey.

Secondly, I observe that you write down as a conclusion that "the underlying causes ^are, and will probably ever remain, not only unknown, but even inconceivable by us".

While only a mountaineer, yet I announce to you that the conclusion just quoted need not be to any longer entertained than you can examine a book that has been printed for quite a number of years. (I am not in a position to present one to you, but your bookseller may obtain one by from the concern which has them — H. Sanche & Co., 489 Fifth Avenue, New York City)

[3]¹² I may say that one of your illustrious men, Faraday⁹, found facts which tho [sic] he was entirely unaware of what he found, were, as I now put it, a "leading" to a developement of far greater improtence [type hand-corrected: importance] to humanity than all things that have arisen from his other facts.

While Faraday's facts were to him inexplicable, and so to Tyndall¹⁰ and others, yet in another mind and Reason, seeking in other directions, they led to investigations of such character and direction that the very things which you deem "will surely never be explained" are made clear because of the "facts" turned up in the process of digging in the field in which faraday, unaware, worked for awhile [sic].

In the volumn [sic], to which I called your attention, entitled How Man Lives¹¹,

are made plain, not only evolution, but why it is irrepressible; and the mutations of living things, and why; spontaneous generation, as Nature produces it, not as alleged scientists try to produce it with sterilized material such as in their very nature are forbidding to "life".

You will find that the rise of the single cell, its development, its multiplication, and its evolution on up thro [sic] the infinite scale of being, on up to Man, are set out; and you will see how⁵ it is that from water, air and Solar ray Nature⁵ gives fundamental life and supplies⁵ animation⁵ to the organisms it causes to be generated from gaseous⁵ nothingness^5,6.

And if you take these explanations in, you will have not only a clearer "vision of an earlier world" but may, by the penetrating force of Reason, answer all the objections to Evolution; and on page 87 of aforesaid volumn [sic] you can see stated that the "doctrine of Evolution as set forth by Darwin is naturally true and scientifically correct, and is fully confirmed in all things that live, and applies alike to all terrestrial and aquatic living forms [4]¹⁶ that compose animated Nature".

Of course all the deduced facts as well as the actual facts have met and will continue to meet strenuous opposition from orthodox exponents of tradition-made science, and from the pulpit will go forth will denunciation, as in the case of Darwin.

But to the tottering child of nature who entertains no preference for any theory, and who makes no choice of explanation but that most consistent with the facts, there will be only the desire to "know".

And to the person who is anxious to learn of that Power whom some call The Creator, others the universal cause, and to Whom Man usually gives the name God: let him read what is plainly written on the face of the earth and of creation, if he would have any conception of ^what the Tree that produces the fruit must be, in its Intrinsic Qualities at least.

What is here written is not for notice of any name, for, as an individual, I am nobody — only an observer — only using my "thinker" (excluding from it as thoroly [sic] as possible all bias) as its qualities will admit, hoping there are others with thinkers far more capable than mine.

And I may add that I am only a student of Nature, at the foot of the class, still in the lowest "form"; but for all that, a student, acknowledging as my Head Master the man who wrote the volumn [sic] referred to.

Yours faithfully | J. P. O'Brien [signature] | c/o Camp Aragon, Woodford Bennington Co., Vt [hand-written]

Mr. Alfred Russell [sic] Wallace, F.R.S., Etc.,

Broadstone, Wimborne,

ENGLAND