The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1844-11-14

NO"'S'SSH "itu hliI, d. dPP0dtS, Nltiuul any
expression of establishment on his part, as if
it were no unusual exercise of power;
though Milton makes Eve express surprise
wheushe tempter
''Her attention gained with serpent tongue,
Organic; or impulse of vocal air."
for he thus describes the effect OF the adj
dress made to her by the enemy of mankind:
What may this mean? language of man pro-
noumced
By tongue Of brute, and human sense expressed?
The first at least OF these l thought denied
To beosts. whom God on their crea ion day
Created mute to all articuiate sound?
The latter ! demur, for in their looks
Much reason, and IN their actions oft appears
Thou. serpent, subtlest beastof all the field,
| know. bat NOT with human voice endowed,
ReGoubie then this miracle and say,
How earnest thou speakabie OF mute! and how
To me so friendly grown,"&c
This, however, is the establishment of
poetry, and is not TO be considered as a nee
esssary deduction from any authority ofscrip
lure. Many birds can distinctly initiate the
human yoice,and utter our language as clear
iy as ourselves; and this only from their W
Spontaneous habit or faculty of imitation,
without being tau ght. Animals were origi-
nally divided by their makers will into clean
and unclean-that is, more or less honora-
Bile; and this distinction may still exist, and
dus enable some to be raised higher than at
present they are in the scale of creation, en-
Joyiug a fuller and more enlarged measure
OF The divine benevolence, with higher ca
paciiies of enjoyment in a more prolonged
a-fcfop1a A nj The hrtn-, - 4, .Io -,
sIderation Of another branch Of the argu-
tnent which connects the care of the brute
creation with The duties of man, and makes
him responsible for his conduct towards them;
Vpf as by care and tenderness, aad a prudent
exercise OF authority and application Of his
supeslor understanding, he nay ensbie thets
to develope faculties which otherwise would
have remained imperfect, or perhaps hecn
wholly oblileraied, so by cruel usage, by in
fiction of brutal and savage treatment, by
bad example by habiinaI Indictment to acis
of passion aud outrage, by breeding Them up
IN the habits Of violence and enmity to all
-yaer animals, even of their own kind, aud
to man hiinselI-he may debase them below
even his own degraded stale, mike them The
mere creatures OF fierce and violent passion,
till TO them every object they meet becomes,
II strong, an enemy 10 encounter; If weak,
Il prey to destroy. So much does lie char
acler Of animals depend on that oftheir mas
ters. Compare only the gentle spaniel,
brought up 10 watch the movements and O.
hey the kind voice Of his master; see how
the sagaciiy of the animal has Developed IL
seiI with It's improved temper and manners,
as in The instance of CowpeT's favoriIe dog
plungmg ino the river 10 gather a flower
which lis master WIS in vain eadeavoring TO
reach; or the Newfoundland dog saving fom
death the drowning sailor ;or The noble, fifth
full mastiif pulling down The fobber who is
threatening his masters life; compare this
with the race of the same animals brought
mp under different treatment; of the deer
us not TO approach, and which in sullen and
logged hate sink away from those that they
dare not attack; 0rof the %Ox-hounds, whom
The huntsman dare not approach for his life
unless with a powerful weapon in his hand.
If man be accommodates conscience, and
r@eason, and t e voice of religion tell us be is
for the SORROWS bis conduct may bring on
his fellow-creatures, from confidence he has
deceived, innocence he has ruined, friend
ship he hasviolated, injury he has committed,
or even happiness he has failed 10 bestow, so
in a lesser decree may we not suppose that,
If his line of duty extend also up 10 those
limits where the animal creation is found, il
my be more Iorcibly felt, it not only their
present comfort is seen TO depend mainly up
on his conduct, but that their future destiny
my also he involved in il? We know very
little regarding the individual tempers and
capacities Of animals; We think the subieci
beneath our notice, or at least moi worthy oil
me trubIe it demlnds. The sportsman who
shoots athousand haTes in aseason, looks on
them merely as The very same animal multi
piled a thousand times; but the poet who
brought up a few Of them in perfect and
familiar Domestic alton with him, discovered
The interesting fact that they are all disting-
nished from each other By such difference oil
temper, feelings, and habits as we are; by
different degrees of boldness, attachment
spfighiIiness, genileness, and so on-which
fact surely opens TO US a new and pleasing
field of inquiry, and one that would tenc
more than any philosophical speculations &c
give us distinct views of what may be the in
s%tinctive and acquired intellect of the animal
creation. We we'll know that it is very easy
Indeed to inrn all such notions as these into
ridicule, for ridicule can successfully dis
guise and dcbase with its motley coat far gra,
yer subjects than ours; but we know tina
these humble creatures are all. like ourselv
es. dependent on Gods bounty, and partak
ers OF his common and universal care; tina
they are gifted with different degrees of ca
4, %pacity; that they are capable of great i'm
provemeni; that, like ourselves, they are