Clarence Darrow, The Descent of Quotes

A collection of quotes by Clarence Darrow, The Descent of .

Clarence Darrow, American lawyer and leading figure in the early 20th-century legal scene, was born on April 18, 1857, in Kinsman, Ohio. Renowned for his skills in criminal defense and his progressive beliefs, Darrow is perhaps best known for his involvement in the Scopes Monkey Trial. This famous trial, which took place in 1925, centered around the teaching of evolution in public schools.

Darrow graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1878 and began his legal career working for a railroad law firm. However, he soon shifted his focus to criminal defense, gaining a reputation as a skilled and zealous advocate for the underprivileged. Darrow's progressive views led him to take on many controversial cases, defending those accused of murder, labor organizers, and individuals caught up in political movements.

His defense of John Scopes, a teacher accused of violating Tennessee's law against teaching evolution, showcased Darrow's commitment to intellectual freedom and his opposition to religious fundamentalism. Through his arguments, Darrow challenged the conservative establishment and the notion that science should be suppressed in the classroom.

Darrow's career was marked by high-profile cases, persuasive oratory skills, and a commitment to justice for all. His legacy as a champion for civil liberties during a politically and socially tumultuous era of American history endures. Clarence Darrow passed away on March 13, 1938, in Chicago, leaving behind a lasting impact on the legal profession and the fight for social justice.

The fact that the lower animals are excited by the same emotions as ourselves is so well established, that it will not be necessary to weary the reader by many details. Terror acts in the same manner on them as on us, causing the muscles to tremble, the heart to palpitate, the sphincters to be relaxed, and the hair to stand on end. Suspicion, the offspring of fear, is eminently characteristic of most wild animals. It is, I think, impossible to read the account given by Sir E. Tennent, of the behaviour of the female elephants, used as decoys, without admitting that they intentionally practise deceit, and well know what they are about. Courage and timidity are extremely variable qualities in the individuals of the same species, as is plainly seen in our dogs. Some dogs and horses are ill-tempered, and easily turn sulky; others are good-tempered; and these qualities are certainly inherited. Every one knows how liable animals are to furious rage, and how plainly they shew it. Many, and probably true, anecdotes have been published on the long-delayed and artful revenge of various animals. The accurate Rengger, and Brehm state that the American and African monkeys which they kept tame, certainly revenged themselves. Sir Andrew Smith, a zoologist whose scrupulous accuracy was known to many persons, told me the following story of which he was himself an eye-witness; at the Cape of Good Hope an officer had often plagued a certain baboon, and the animal, seeing him approaching one Sunday for parade, poured water into a hole and hastily made some thick mud, which he skilfully dashed over the officer as he passed by, to the amusement of many bystanders. For long afterwards the baboon rejoiced and triumphed whenever he saw his victim.

Clarence Darrow, The Descent of

Animals