cago, June 12, 1890, p. 2331), Prof. Cope closed the dis- cussion : — THE RETURN OF THE NEGROES TO AFRICA (By Prof. E. D. Cope.) Criticism on my paper on this subject in The Open Court of January 23, 1890, having apparently ceased, I am disposed to recur to the subject for two reasons. One of these is that I wish to reply to my critics ; and the other is that Mr. Henry M. Stanley is said to have taken up the subject, and to be prepared to place his knowledge of Central Africa at the disposal of the proper authorities when the project shall have been de- cided on. I am not surprised to find that the objectors to the project of transferring the negroes from this country to Africa have nothing but sentimental objections to urge against it. They call their objections ethical, and imagine that they have the support of justice in their position. Their understanding of the import of ethics and justice may dififer from mine, but I suspect that their view chiefly results from an ignorance of some fundamental principles of biology, and their failure to perceive the bearings of these on the problem. In order to present a rational objection to the plan of separating the Ethiopian from the Indo-European race by 3,000 miles of water, its opponents should prove, first, that the negro and white races will not hybridize in the countries where they live together; or second, that the hybrid, if produced, possesses men- tal characteristics as good as those of the whites. Neither of my critics has done this, and until they do so, their objections are absolutely worthless. On the contrary, if the opposite of my position be proven, I will promptly abandon it. As to the question of injus- tice, we have to decide, if injustice there be, as to who shall be the sufferer. Shall we subject the higher race to deterioration ; or shall we subject the lower to trans- portation without material loss to it. To do the former
