 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
368
Hereditary Genius
changed. This corresponds to a so-called “sport” of nature. Again, to
make the simile still more closely appropriate to our wants, suppose
that by some alteration in the system of representation, two boroughs,
each containing an Irish element in a large minority, the one having
always returned a Whig and the other a Conservative, to be
combined into a single borough returning one member. It is clear that
the Whig and Conservative party will neutralize one another, and that
the union of the two Irish minorities will form a strong majority, and
that a member professing Irish interests is sure to be returned. This
strictly corresponds to the case where the son has marked
peculiarities, which neither of his parents possessed in a patent form.
The dominant influence of pure blood over mongrel alliances is also
easily to be understood by the simile of the two boroughs; for if every
perfect and inchoate voter in one of them—that is to say, every male,
man and child—be a radical to his backbone, the incoming of such a
compact mass would overpower the divided politics of the inhabitants
of the other, with which it was combined.
These similes, which are perfectly legitimate according to the theory
of Pangenesis, are well worthy of being indulged in, for they give
considerable precision to our views on heredity, and compel facts that
appear anomalous at first sight, to fall into intelligible order.
I will now explain what I presume ought to be understood, when we
speak of the stability of types, and what is the nature of the changes
through which one type yields to another. Stability is a word taken
from the language of mechanics; it is felt to be an apt word; let us
see what the conception of types would be, when applied to
mechanical conditions. It is shown by Mr. Darwin, in his great theory
of “The Origin of Species,” that all forms of organic life are in some
sense convertible into one another,
 |
|
 |
|