The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-12-02 00:00:00

LITIM.47I7RE AND PUGILISM.

IFOOM GOLD AND NOITOO7III=XDON 'MAGAZINE ►OR Till

PR as It? MOWN.]
ON THE INCONSISTINCT AND INIPRDPRIETY or CON.
mamma LITERATURE WITII PUGILISM..
" Ills own mad hand the die hath east."
l% has been long a source of great vexation to ns,
to rerceive the attempts made by several periodical
oblications, to combine the disgraceful science of
tgtlism with literature. To ns it appears wonderful,
that buy man of talent, of honor, of humanity, ran be

the ,Avorate of the disgusting and disgracefnl pugi-
What ! shall a man, who ran calmly and deli-
hrrately set-to, and mutilate anti disfigure his fellow-
man to emcee a throng of titled blackguards and illi-
terate brutes, be held up to the world as worthy of uni-
versal patronage and protection? Shall a Randall, a
Reynolds, a Belcher, a " Nonpareil," he transmitted
to future ages by the side of Byron, Scott, Shelly, and
~lilluan? Shall the ferocious passions of the human
heart be fostered and nourished by the peaceful hand
of literature, that it may, in time, like the grey mildew
on the ripening corn, blight it, anti cause it to perish
timelessly ? We hope not ; but the evil is daily in-
creasing, and if not checked. may like a malignant
fever, in time, carry off its victim.
We have lung seriously considered the impropriety
of thus amalgamating literature anti pugilism. In the Ist
place, we think that men of liberal education ought to
discourage, by every means in their power, every thing
tending to urge or increase the brutal passions. 2illy,that
as periodical works are perused by the fairer species of
creation, whose nature, sensibility, and innate deli-
cacy, recoils front every recital of repulsive brutality,
Pottle little attention ought to be paid to their feelings.
Thirdly, we consider the advocating of such roger-
taionacots (for so they are thought) synonymous with
branding the name of any publication with disgrace.
Peter Corcoran made, we are happy to say. an abor-
tive attempt to inflict his poetical panegyric upon the
" manly science" un the world ; but now, whoever
speaks of the " Fancy," notwithstanding the puffing
of it, but in terms of aversion? Even Tom Crib's Me-
morial to Congress sleeps in the " t b of all the
Captilets," though the author of it is one of the most
popular poets of the present day. This seems some-
thing like public feel*, and we hope shortly to see
this feeding evinced more fully. We are, we confess,
decidedly hostile to the pugilistic profession. We can
find no ilniusement in seeing a fellow-creature bruised
and beaten. We never did experience any delight in
joining hosts of pick-pockets at Moulsey Hurst; nor
in subscribing for a purse for a boxer, when many a
widow is in distress, and an orphan pleads for a pit-
tance to prevent his perishing. But the human mind
is of varied texture : the brutal passions too often pre-
dominate, and the gentler sensations of the soul are
left to wither like autumnal flowers, when a inter gales
commence. _ _ _

To as a prize-fighter is a despicable being—not
far removed from a murderer; the latter does the deed
effectually at once, the former maims and mangles for
the sport of others. Pause, ye patrons of brutality ;
ye who would bewail the lameness of a hound, or the
fousderings of a banter, and say whether ye bare the
feelings of men, that ye can behold with pleasure
such cruel combats! If the storms of Heaven rage
around ye, ye can feel for yourselves, bat for the
pains, of others re have no compassion—they are your
sport—your delight.
Literature certainly ought not to be made subservi-
ent to the caprice of any set of persons. Like the etar
in the heavens.-it ought to shine forth with undimi-
nished and unsullied lustre. !en of laming have a
sacred duty to perform : they are, in fact, the g►uar-
e!:ans of the public morals. To them the unlettered
portion of the community look up for an example; and
if they sanction the disgraceful practice of prize-light-
ing, their humble imitators see nothing wrong in
doing the same. We would ask Mr. IVilson, to whom
report ascribes the boxing articles which appear in the
principal periodical work in the sister kingdom, whe-
ther he bas ever seriously reflected on the evil tendency
of the principles be thus promulgates. How he can
connect poetry, pugilism, and philosophy, and be at
since the advocate of morality and of a sparring exhi-
bition, is to us a paradox. Sven Peter Corcoran, in
his lest poem, seems to bewail the infatuation that led
/s;as forward ; that estranged him from Isis family aid
his friends, when he says of his companions,
" 1 only wish they now could look,
Upon my life's despoiled book."
It might not, pe...aps, he a difficult task to trace the
ruin of many young men, born for nobler ends, to a
sad predilection for this disgraceful science. -Led on
by the example of their associates, they have termed
acquaintances with the patrons and lovers of this low
delight; and their wild and wretched choice has been
the beacon to light them on to ruin, to infamy and to,
death.
Per the present, we will not suffer ourselves to pur-
sue this unpleasant subject much further. If tlmuu is.
as has been asserted, " a great deal ,of lite,rattire is
and sport the ring at present," we can only express
our sorrow for it. If the age of chivalry is no more,
fur Owl's sake let us not be annoyed and insulted by
the relation of battles, which bear no more resem-
blance to it " than Ito Hercules." If brutality con-
Clines to flourish, we may expect in a few years to
k,ar of a wan beidg tied to a stake, and baited with
dogs like a bull. We sincerely wish some of oar Se-
nators would bring the matter before the House ; and
we now appeal to Mr. Wilberforce, u the professed!
advocate of humanity, to make some elation for the
removal of a national disgrace. Why do not the So-
ciety for the Suppression of Vice, who can fief a poor
mat for selling the necessaries of life on the Sabbath-
day, exert their influence tpabelish the Fives-Court ?
Ate they, too, become the patrons of the desperate and
dissolute, prize-figters? Or Itemise it is the resort of
peers, dare they net interfere? At any rate, they
are either timid or negligeat, and are most shamefully
maim in the duty they owe to the country and tit.
themselves.
At a future period, we shall again take up the salom
jert, and featlesslY expose the patroui of this despl.
cable amusement. Whether there be Peers, Princes,
or Magistrates among the number, we care not. We
have some concern fur the character of our country,
end some regard for its morals. This is but a hasty
aid imperfect prettpeetus of oar intentions, and we
shall treat the subject' more fully at our leisure.