Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-09-24
EDWARD EVERETT ON rHE HORSE
Ar SPRIsGrIKLp, Mass, SEPT. IL. 1858.

OOnsiuer WHAT nlSn degrees OF Intellectual and
moral power are eyinced by animals whom we
profanely call brute beasts. suppose n was
reflection on these noble qualities of the
horse, intellectual aud moral that led the
wlthest, the bitterest, and, am sorry 10 saw.
the hlthiest OF the satirists of our langu age-i
mean Dean Swift-in that remark table romance
OF his, the most fascinating as well as the most
revolving of books, to represent the horse,
under that unpronounciable name which he
gives hlH, as the wiser, the more sagacious,
the nobler animal, and to describe the human
race under the disgusting character of the
ahoo, as an inferior order of beings. / don't
know, SIR, but you will rather think it beneath
the dignity OF the occasion to allude to such
book rs "Gullivers Travels and vet it does
contain, among many most instruc tive 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 il
at all agricultural and rural shows than. per-
maps, any other in the whole compass of litera-
ture. " 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 be ter Of n lkiI d, and render
more essential service to the country, than
the whole race Of politicians put together.
Laughter and applause When this is quoted
al agricultural meetings by patriotic candi-
dates for office, this last part Of the sentence is
generally omitted. Renewed laughter The
noble qualities Of the horse seem indeed. 10
nave made an impression upon the most brutal.
ised OF our own species. suppose it is this,
IL we're worth while to attempt to account for
Ine freaks Of a madman, which led the Emperor
Talgula to erect a marble stable for his horse
Aecltatus, to provide him with an ivory mapger.
with housings Of imperial purple, a breastpIate
studded with diamonds and pearls, and then to
elevate him to the dignity of the consulship.
Ihis seems, to be sure, a mere freak of mad.
ness, ana yeti am inclined TO think that at the
time haffa oh
been made out of the venal cOurtiers and fac
uous prs torians OF the imperial court and L
oelleye, sur, had it been put to the vote through
out the Roman empire, then co-extensive 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 100 familiar with the rama.
city OF the tyrants who chased each other over
the stage, dagger in hand, not to be pleased
with the elevation Of a ruler who took nothing
out oats out Of the public crib -Ilaughterl-a
ruler, slr, who, while the reins were with him,
would at least have given them a stable ad-
mlnlstration- Renewed laughter I hope.
sir, with the Governor, that the general result
oil these exhibitions will be that, while thew
tend to improve the animal himself they will
also tend to enlarge our sympathies toward
MN, and thus in the final result, to secure him
better treatment; and there is too much room
for Improvement in this respect, sir in all parts
%.
the city OF boston, a brute in human form
Perched upon the side Of his wagon holding his
horse with careless and loose rein going At a
smart trot all the while, allowing him TO 20
down on his knees on a sharp corner of the
snpPery pavement The noble animal made a
conVulsive and finally successful effort to re.
cover himself; but he had hardly risen TO his
rect when the driver leaped from his wagon and
began, for what was his own fault. 10 appIv
the handle of his whip TO the head and the in
nde OF the legs Of the noble beast, and could
scarcely be restrained by the indignant remon-
s. sanse Oi Ine oystanders 1 trust, sir, that the
beautiful performances of Mr.. Rarey, to which
my friend Ashmun has alluded, NAV be the
means OF difusing some useful ideas in this re-
sPect throughout the community. Whether
there is yet more unexplained means of inau-
ence In the possession Of this gentleman, not
shared oy the rest Of the community, / know
not but one thing think sir is certain-Ibat
one great portion consists in gaining and Keen.
ing the affections Of the animal by gentle and
Kind treatment. For this, if for no other rea-
son, be deserves the greatest credit for what he
mas done In this respect, although believe he
Is MT the first who has succeeded, by this san o
treatment, IN subduing the wildness. Changing
zen tne nahVe instincts Of what are commonly
called the almost untamabIe animals of,s1
saw IN the streets OF London, and believe the
same thing may be seen at Barnum's Museum
IN new 1ork-what was called THE Hannv
famlly "a collection of animals in a large
wire cage, most hostile in their nature-cats
anu iaN, naWks and mice, owls and wreDs, liv-
ing together In these close Quarters in the nt
most amity and friendship. asked the show
man Wnat was the secret of the operation by
which he brought about those astonishing re-
suits lie told me il was persevering Kindness
he did not say, sir, in what particular vay that
nHdness was TO De manifested. L believe part
OF II consisted in always keeping them suppIied
with plenty Of the food they were fond Of bnt
was persevering kindness. My experience
led me to think that the amicabIe relations
thus established among the animals did NOT eI.
tend TO outsiders; for rather inadvertently
put my finger through the bars of the cage.
Wnen a large rat sprang at il with such randi.
ty that drew it back good deal onicke,
toan put 1t in. Laughter and applause
assure you that my bosom was overflow
Win kindness toward every member Of that
nappy family, not excepting the rat; but
SiVsi tnat demonstration on the part of the rat
=, uu NOT tnink 1t expedient to perseyere
iLdusnter.I have sometimes, sir, been led
TO moraiiEe upon that trivial Spectacle as Of
the success OF the extraordinary Experiments
oil the hessrs Rarey, and to ask myself vhetb-
ef We may not derive from them lesson which
may oe OF advantage to Us in our treatment of
our fellow mon The best of books saws CO.
to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her v.v.
ana De wise Sir, may we not 20 10 the frac
tious and ungOvernable horse, whose naturs
has been changed by these gentlemen, and
learn how to treat our fellow men! Loud
cheers Is the nature Of man, sir, this .'Iord
OF the creatiOn'-is the nature of man so much
more Oodurate than that Of the wild zebra and
untAned horse, that what changes their instinct
ana makes them gentle and quiet would be all
lost upon us! L do not believe it, The
Messrs Rarey tell US that il is not strong Der.
tunes It 10 not powerful drugs-no, sir, 1t is
tnstinenaole charm, that never to- be described
llnuenCA n
ment. This, this sir is the true n6duer
.'.is Is the genuine oil Of r Rhodium that ena.
pies The softened brute to read a reproachfuI
lesson 70 rational humanity. Perseyering
kindness :ir, let US try 1t. Let us see whether
1t Is not like those delicious sweetmeats that
used to come from the tropics when I wa, a
poy, lou nave seen them, sir, those pretty
white cases, ornamented with fIagree and All
around was the inscription, aGood for sick
People, but will not materially injure those
d are well" Laughter Sir, what if il
should turn out that this kind, gentle treat.
meEt. which il Oood for