Anniversary address, delivered before the Anthropological Society of London, January 3rd, 1866 / by James Hunt.

  • James Hunt
Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Anniversary address, delivered before the Anthropological Society of London, January 3rd, 1866 / by James Hunt. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    attempt his rescue with Mr. Rassam, and I sincerely trust their efforts may be crowned with success. Is it our duty to “rest” or be “thankful,” whilst such things are going on ? Is it not rather incumbent on us to raise a protest against the manner in which well ascertained facts with regard to race dis- tinctions are ai’gued by those whose duty it is to become acquainted with them ? If this Society ftxils to publish to the world all the facts at present knowm with regard to this question, she will not be dis- charging her duty or fulfilling her place in the development of tnie scientific principles for human guidance. Let us not “rest,” but rather arouse those whose duty it is to cany o\xt our deductions, to a sense of their responsibility, if they neglect tnitlis so clearly demon- strated as race-antagonism and race-subordination can be. In these two phrases are summed up gi-eat and permanent truths. Neither race-antagonism nor race-subordination was invented by us ; they were simply phi’ases to express truths, which were as true thousands of years ago as at the present day. The existence of both is demon- strated by facts. It is an error to suppose they are mere hypotheses; they are, on the contraiy, theories founded upon all authentic history, and upon well asceidained facts. The time will come—whether we shall live to see it I know not— when a knowledge of the science of anthropology will be required of all seeking appointments in our colonial or foreign possessions, and when our statesmen will be required to act on the deductions of our science. The time, too, will surely come, when it will be made a branch of national education; when the professor of history in our universities shall become the professor of historical anthropology ; and when the professor of political economy shall become the professor of compai’ative anthropolog5^ Opinions may differ as to the time required to effect such changes ; but our science cannot fail ere long to be recognised in some form, even by those who arc most opposed to what they suppose to be its teaching. These are things, however, of the future, and I only men- tion them now to urge all to renewed exertions on behalf of our sub- lime science. If we but once realise not only the grandexir, but also the practical advantage of anthropology, we shall no longer look with wonder at its development, but be ready to put our shoulder to the wheel. There arc yet hundreds, if not thouscands of men in this coxintry who could render our science good service if they only realised its scope and practical bearing. Our Society at present is only the nucleus round which we may all work according to our lights. It is true that we have refused many who have sought admission to us; but we have only done this when we considered that such applicants were not likely to render service to the cause of science. The different shades of scientific opinion which are now represented in our Society, form the best gixarantee for the free and full discussion of the topics brought before us. It is gi-atifying for us to know that the resignations this year have been relatively fewer than on any previous year. A young society is always liable to lose a large lunnbcr of its early adherents. There are a lar«re number
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