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xxvi
Hereditary Genius
duced into Africa by Europeans, who will enforce justice and order, excite
a desire among the natives for comforts and luxuries, and make steady
industry, almost a condition of living at all. Such races would spread and
displace the others by degrees. Or it may prove that the Negroes, one and
all, will fail as completely under the new conditions as they have failed
under the old ones, to submit to the needs of a superior civilization to their
own; in this case their races, numerous and prolific as they are, will in
course of time be supplanted and replaced by their betters.
It seems scarcely possible as yet to assure ourselves as to the possibility
of any variety of white men to work, to thrive, and to continue their race in
the broad regions of the tropics. We could not do so without better
knowledge than we now possess of the different capacities of individuals to
withstand their malarious and climatic influences. Much more care is taken
to select appropriate varieties of plants and animals for plantation in foreign
settlements, than to select appropriate types of men. Discrimination and
foresight are shown in the one case, an indifference born of ignorance is
shown in the other. The importance is not yet sufficiently recognized of a
more exact examination and careful record than is now made of the
physical qualities and hereditary antecedents of candidates for employment
in tropical countries. We require these records to enable us to learn
hereafter what are the conditions in youth that are prevalent among those
whose health subsequently endured the change of climatic influence
satisfactorily, and conversely as regards those who failed. It is scarcely
possible to properly conduct such an investigation retrospectively.
In conclusion I wish again to emphasise the fact that the improvement of
the natural gifts of future generations
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