St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-10-07
EDWARD EVERETT ON THE HORSE,

of intellectual and moral power are
evinced by animals whom we profane-
ly call brute beasts. Isuppose it was
a reflection on these noble qualities of
the horse, intellectual and moral, that
led the wittiest, the bitterest, and, l
am sorry TO say, the filthiest of the
satirists of our language-l mean
Dean Swift--in that remarkable ro-
nance of his, the most fascinating
as well as the most revolving of books,
to represent the horse, under that un-
pronounciable name which he gives
him, as the wiser, the more saGacious,
the noblcr animal, and to describe the
human race under the disgusting char
actcr Of the Yahoo, as All inferior or
der of beings. don't know, sir, but
you will rather think it beneath the
dignity of the occasion to allude to
such book as Gulliver's Travels
and yet it does contain, among many
most instructive remarks, one of those
passages into which the wisdom of
ages is condensed in single sentence,
and which is more often quoted, at
least part Of it, at all agricultural and
rural shows, than, perhaps, any other
in the whole compass of literature
The man. says Gulliver, who can
make two cars of corn or two blades
Of grass to grow on the spot where
only one grew before, would deserve
better of mankind, and render more
essential service to the country, than
the whole race of politicians put to-
gether." Laughter and applause ]
When this is quoted at agricultural
meetings by patriotic candidates for
Office, this last part of the sentence is
generally omitted. Renewed laugh
ter The noble qualities Of the horse
seem, indeed, TO have made an impress
sion upon the most brutalizcd Of our
own species. l suppose it is this, ii
it were worth while to attempt
TO account for the freaks of Il
madman, which led the Emperor Cali
cula to erect marble stable for his
horse Incitatus, to provide him with
an ivory manger, with housings OF
imperial purple, a breast-plate studded
with diamonds and pearls, and then to
elevate him to the dignity Of the con-
sulship. This seems, to be snrc, a
mere freak OF madness, and yet am
| inclined to think that at the time it
MAS u better choice than coaid have
been made out of the venal courticrs
and factious pr1torians of the impc-
rial court, and | believe, sir, had it
been put to the vote throughout the
Roman empire, then co-cXtcnsive with
the civilized world, they would have
decided that they had better consul
in the horse than in the Emperor.
Laughter and applause. Sir, they
had been too familiar with the rapaci-
tv of the tyrants who chased each
other over the stage, dagger in hand,
not to be pleased with the elevation
of IA ruler who took nothing but oats
out of the public crib laughter -
a ruler, sir, who, while the reins were
with him, would at least have giver
them a stable administration. Re
ncwcd laughtcr.l | hope, sir, witt
the Governor, that the general result
of these exhibitions will be that, while
they tend to improve the animal him
self, they will also tend to enlarge oul
sympathies toward him, and thus, il
the final result, to secure him better
treatment and there is too mucl
room for Improvement in this respect
sir, in all parts of the country. saw
but few days ago, in the city of Bos
ton, brute in human form perchcC
upon the side Of his wagon, holding
his horse with a careless and loos,
rein, going at 4 smart trot a thu
while, allowing him to go down OF
his knees on sharp corner OF th'
slippery pavement. The noble AM
NAL made convulsive and finally sue
ccssrnl effort to recover himself; bu
he had hardly risen to his feet whcl
the driver lcapcd from his wagon AM
) began, for what was bis own fault, #
; apply the handle of his whip TO th
head and the inside of the legs of tn
noble beast, and could scarcely b
, restrained by the indignant rcmol
STRANGE of the bystanders. trust
sir, that the beautiful performances {
Mr.. Rarcy, to which my friend Asl
: nun has alluded, may be the mean
n of ditlusing some useful ideas in thi
h respect throughout the communit.
c Whether there is yet some uneXplalne
: means of influence in the possessio
II Fof this gentleman not shared by til
h rest of the community know not
d but one thing think, sir, is certain
i that one great portion consists i'll gai
l. ing and keeping the affections OF IL
II animal by gentle and kind treatmen
For this, If for no other reason, he d
l. serves the greatest credit for what |
D. has done in this respect, although
o believe he is not the first who h;
$ succeeded by this same treatment
y subduing the wildness. changing evt
x the native instincts of what are cor
e monty called the almost untamab
lc animals. | often saw in the streets
&c London-aud | believe the same thin
ot may bc seen at Barnum's Museum,
1T New York-what was called ct
N Happy Family"-a collection of al
ut mails in a large wire cage, most be
tile in their natme-cats and raj
I'd hawks and mice, owls and wrens, i
Mt ing together in these close quartz
m in the utmost amity and friendsh
" | asked the Snowman what was I
n secret of the operation by which
'ir brought about those astonishing
ly suits. lie told me it was perseyeri
rs kindness He did not say, sir, in wi
'S particular way that kindness was
tc be manifested. l believe part OF
ed consisted in always keeping them 81
&c, piled with plenty of the food they W.
he fond of but it was persevering XII
Sc ness. My experience led me to thu
nd that the amicable relations thus est
to lished among the animals did not
on tend to outsiders for | rather in
vertently put my finger through
bars of the cage, when a large
II. snraaG at it-Axiih- .suih Iaaias = iha