Correspondence.

Colonist, Issue 32, 9 February 1858, Page 3

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Colonist,

Sir, —I see by-the Colonist of Friday last, a letter from Mr. D. M'Gregor, disclaiming the authorship of a communication headed " Maiden Gully," and also signed D. M'Gregor.

■ You state that a respectable tradesman is the author of that spurious and disgraceful production : now you will oblige yonr numerous readers and the public generally by publishing his name, that we may know our friends from our enemies. There cannot be a more unscrupulous and dastardly action than to forge a string of lies, sigu another person's name to. tjhem, and then publish the whole to the world as truth. Had the offence been comin^ed 4 against an individual only, a private acknowledgment might sufficiently atone; bufc the feelings of the public ought not to be outraged without a public explanation of such conduct; and I do hope as the offender has impudence enough to withhold a public' apology that you will publish his name, and release from the stigma of L lying and forgery the body of which I am a member. ; Yours, 4c, A TRADESMAN. Nelson, February 8.

To the Editor of the Colonist.

Sir, —If " Theta " chooses to shut his eyes to the evidences of phrenology, that is no affair of mine; I am satisfied with the dictum of our great teacher, Dr. Gall, —" This is truth, though at variance with the philosophy of ages." Phrenology depends neither on " speculation," nor on "theory;" nor did its illustrious discoverer, as "Theta" asserts, "live more in dreams than in reality." It is essentially a science of observation, like chemistry and botany. It was discovered by observing facts, was perfected by comparison and induction, and every man with sufficient capacity may, with his own eyes, test and verify its truth. Why, even the groom in a stable will teach it to you; he will tell you that if a horse is hollow and narrow in the middle of the forehead, it is a vicious brute, who will kick and bite; but if broad behind the ears, and high in the front, he is not only bold, but also good tempered. It is written by the finger of God upon every link of the chain of animated existence. It is as evident in the ant or the bee, which constructs the hill or the honey-cell, as it is in man, the lord of creation, who has built the Parthenon and the pyramid. " All truth is from the same eternal source, whether it be the truth of philosophy, or that of revelation. It is impossible to destroy a fact, it remains for ever, and he who opposes it will always ultimately be found in the wrong; he will b£ seen to have opposed God's truth, to have set variance between His word and His works."

In 1818, Dr. Vimont, of Caen; contended for the prize in Comparative Anatomy, offered by the Royal Institute of France. He had only heard of Gall as a charlatan; but as it was necessary to consult many writers on anatomy, he read his work amongst others. "Hardly had I began to read it," says he, "when I found that I had to do with one of those extraordinary men whom dark envy endeavours to exclude from the rank to which their genius calls them,, and against whom it employs the arms of the coward and the hyprocrite. High cerebral capacity, profound penetration, good sense, and varied information, were the qualities which struck me as distinguishing Gall. The indifference which I first felt for his writings, soon gave way to the most profound veneration."

During nine years Vimont pursued his investigations into the phrenology of brutes, with extraordinary assiduity and perseverance. He then presented to the Institute a memoir of his researches, together with 2500 heads of different kinds. Of these, 1500 had belonged to animals whose habits he had observed when alive. He presented at the same time, 400 wax representations of the brain, modelled after nature, and an atlas of 300 figures of the brain and skull, the originals of which had cost him 12,000 francs. His magnificent work, which is now before the world, is illustrated by 120 folio plates, containing 600 figures. If the accredited writings of Gall and Combe should fail to convince " Theta's" mind, and surmount his prejudice, the splendid work of Vimont must overwhelm all his objections to what he is pleased to call " the speculative business of charlatans."

When we learn that one organ was discovered in one portion of the head, and another in a different part, at periods frequently several years between ; when we see all the perceptive organs grouped around and above the eye; when we find each sentiment amongstits.kiad.rect isentiments, each propensity in its own,class of propensities, each intellectual organ in its own family circle, and no one wandering out of its glace, or straggling about at random, but every part perfectly arranged and uniting in a perfect whole, I ask, how can any man deny that this, is a true science, or resist the manifold evidences of its being the work of Infinite wisdom ?

The question of "freewill" is beyond the limits of my knowledge.

The enlightened and intelligent American people appear not to participate in " Theta's" opinion. "The lectures of the American Prenological Society at Clinton Hall, New York, during the last winter were highly popular, and attracted overwhelming audiences of intelligent listeners, and in some instances many were obliged to go away; whilst the large hall was densely crowded and every avenue to it filled with persons eager to find a place to stand and hear the truth." We read that 350 public lectures have been delivered, 1200 characters of eight or ten pages each written, nearly 10,000 heads examined, private classes taught, and more than forty-five millions of pages printed, published, and sold by the troop of persons engaged in that establishment, during the space of twelve months.

Caesar Reynolds, a black, confined in the Connecticut State Prison, murdered one of the guards on the night of April 30th, 1833. Dr. Brigbam states, in a letter to Miv Capen, that he visited the prison some time previously in company with Dr. Spurzhemi: that the latter

pointed out this negro as a man of considerable intellect, but said that he'was "a wretched and dangerous man, capable of doing any wickedness, and one that would persevere in iniquity." A warden repeatedly assured Dr. B. that Spurzheiin had given the characters of many of the criminals, particularly the noted ones, as correctly as he himself could, who had long well ■known them. ■',

When George Bidder, the calculating boy, first arrived in Edinburgh, Mr. Moir, surgeon, waited on Mr. Combe with three lads of equal age, and said, " One of these boys is George Bidder; can you tell me which is he by his head ?" Mr. Combe examined them and replied, "It cannot be that one, .for in him the organ of number is deficient; the second'should have considerable calculating powers;' but this must be Bidder, for in him the organ is remarkably developed." Mr. Moir assured Mr. Combe that he was right. The first was his own.son,.on whom all arithmetical instruction seemed to be thrown away; the second had been selected as the most expert calculator in a school in the town; and1 the third was Bidder himself. ' ■

I beg, Sir, to apologise for obtruding this long letter upon you, and at the same time most respectfully bid " Theta" farewell. S. P. T.