The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-10-07
Great Meeting OF Phiianthropists at the
Manhattan Assembly Rooms.

gent collection Of people of both sexes assembled
in the spacious and well known Manhattan Assem-
/ bly, Rooms, for the purpose Of commencing great
phlanthroPic movement, calculated to increase the
benevolent ceilings Of the agej change peculiarly
necessary and desirable in the present vicious state
of the public feeling and public affairs. The COM
pany was highly Intelligent, composed OF some Of
the FIRST spirits of the city. Alter good deal Of
previous conversation, they proceeded to organize
the assembly into a regular mee,ing-called upon
one OF them whom the spirit moved, to commence
the great movement of humanity, and proceed to
stem the torrent Of cruelty and passion, that has
been holding sway go long in the world.
| After some preliminary conversation, in which
number OF very intelligent people took part, the
venerable Thomas Herttell, formerly member OF
Assembly tor this city and Albany, stood up and
| commenced the delivering OF the following ad-
| dress cruelty to dumb beasts.
Thomas HERTTELL rose and sad-This vice cruel
| ~ TO dumb beasts, seems TO be as common as the
moral depravliy OF mankind; and as great and ex-
IRENE the ignorance OF which both are the con-
sequences land education has conspired with other
causes to induce the evtL in question, and to Justify
aud confirm It's practice. Even religion, as 1t has
been taught 10 man, has, III effect, contributed lis
Influence 10 restrain the natural feelings OF human
ty and smother man g adherence OF acts OF cruelty
to the brute creslon Being taught 10 believe and
venerate the Mosaic C0sm0gany, ESQ caled,) it is
part Of mans creed that dumb beasts were created
for his special and that the right to use" is
(by an easy transtiOn made the right 10 abuse and
treat them as he reases Presuming that dumb
beasts have souls, he also holds that he has no
intellect, reason and rights but quiet and pa
uent submission to such infection as the ignorance,
passion and inhumanlty OF their Lord and mas
ter" may caprclously choose to impose upon them.
Applause from the ladies', particularly Look at
the treatment of the horse, OF the most noble
animals which were 6 created for nuns use !" and
see how he is used and abused by barbarous and
savage man. The cruelty inflicted on this tractbe
and submissive animal, is probably fair sample
OF the manner in which he is used in other chris
tlan countries. So accustomed we TO witness
the daily, numerous and gross instances OF the
cruelty Inflicted on this useful and unresisDg dumb
being, that it is usually passed by unheeded, or
viewed with cold indifference mere common
occurrence, matter of course. of Hte moment,
and not worth notice! Thus, general consent tol.
the ,cromg and public opinion regards il as no
offence against either moral or civil law; and i'm
punity screens the cuprt from punish ment, and
thus encourages the repetition OF such acts, and
increases crime; and cruelty to dumb beasts is vir
tually made the Common LaW OF our country.
JOHN SMITH think it is very uncommon law.
LYDIA HoopER-Oh. shocking shocking.
SEVERAL VoICEs-Go on-eilence.
Mr.. HERTTELL continued-How often do we
witness public streets the ebulliton of human
passion, recklessly and numerically vented upon
the suffering and submissive horse? Though, as in
many Instances, blind, lame, starved, poor ana
feeble, while stralning every nerve, muscle, and
limb, to the extent of his power, to remove to It's
required destination, burlhen greatly dispropor-
toned to his strength-who is there who have not
seen him numerically scourged, ashed, walled and
lacerated all over his body and limbs violently
pulled, jerked, and twitched by the reins and
sawed by the bride bits across his jaws, as it to
break the bone, dislodge the teeth, cash the
tongue, and tear his lips. tGreat sensation)
How often is he madly kicked and bruised on his
belly with heavy thick soled bo0ts-outrageousy
beaten over his body and limbs with the butt Of
no Yrnu n ~ ri nln ny llaf ~
untl he (has been known toy groan under the in
fiction and tears run from his eyes to all which
he Is obliged to submit without the power TO resist,
or the means of remonstratIng-and who cares!
Who needs such injustice for such brutal
ny: Whoever knew the perpetrator OF such
cruelty called to account or punished for his CRIME?
Who, under the present waned and waning state
OF public morals, can be expected to undertake
alone to correct them? Will any Judge officially
notice the crime in question, and order legal pro-
ceedlngs to be Instituted against the savage pun
lsh hun for cruelty 10 a dumb beast Why should
he trouble himself with business for which he
would get no increase OF pay, and receives his sa
larry whether he does his duty or not! Will an al
derman or other justice OF the peace move IN the
matter, or with more promptltude and energy?
JOHN SMITH NO, indeed; aldermen will eat
oysters at Fiorence's, and drink champaign, but
will do no such thing.
MARY WooLFsTENcRoFr SMrH.-True shock
ing!
Mr.. HERTTELI., continued Certainly not, |,
would endanger his popularity should he be so i'm
prudent as TO cause man TO be troubled only tor
using his own property just as he pleases Will
the District Attorney call him to account? It Is
not his duty, officially, to arrest prosecute in
case no longer regarded by the public a crime |!
VINO expects constable or marshal 10 arrest the
offender, with view to v,ndcate the iatcs of hu
manity? Really, no one ! The stool pigeon prac
lice is more profitable than any business in which
there is no interest but to subserve the cause OF
morality!
JOHN SMrrH.-Tme Gods own truth.
n. 30 ,.t.~
| tons.
Mr. HERrTELI coutnued.-Will the public
nress the boosted censor of public morals, the
shameful act-denounce its vile character. and ex-
pose its villaRous author? Editors are er oDicio
sensible men, and averse to lose subscriber, and
thus impair the patronage of useful moral mont
tor! [Creat applause. Will the holy pastors OF
the church be disposed 10 stir up the wrath and in
dgnation CT their pous men, and turn the moral
influence of religion against cruelty TO dumb
beastsl The professors OF the true faith are SO
much engaged in saving the souls of men, that they
have no time to waste on dumb beasts, who have
no souls to be saved from the bsrbarous cruelty Of
| men who claim to have immortal souls! Extra
ordinary applause and cheers. Who, then, can
expect that they will be diverted from their charta
bic and interesting labor OF raising money tor rever
| end missionaries, or toreg0 the manifestation Of
so much christian humility as IS shown forth in the
| splendid and costly temples reared and devoted to
the ostentatous exhibition OF public prayers the
public sho,o Of religion, and to illustrate the prac
| cal influence OF their masters divine admontlon-
q be not like the hypocrite (Great sensation and
| applause Who ever dreamed or heard OF an in
stance in which cruelty to dumb beasts has ever
been denounced, officially and publicly, by clerical
professors as immoral and irreligious or that that
| crime ever constituted the principle or leading
theme of a public OBSCURE from the pulpit And
who ever knew an instance where any public con-
servator Of the public peace or official guardian OF
public morals, ever, voluntarily and officially, in
terposed his authority to prevent the crime, or TO
punish the offender against the laws of humanity
| in the case under consideration! (Vociferous ap
| plause II, perchance, feeling of sympathy for
eiio,o beings should still survives and pity viewing
with horror and disgust, exhibitions Of human de-
any phitanthrop,st to interfere in behalf OF the
abused sufferer TO save him from savage cruelty
he would be laughed to scorn or be sneered at for
his sickly humanity, and denounced and abused, II
| nor chas,sed, for impudently intermeddlng with
the right Of man" to use his ovn property as he