Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-04-28

Henry ward Lseecher ON Fast Horses.
Henry Ward Beecher, in note to Bonner,
of the New York Ledger, and who owns a
pair Of very fast horses, discourses very plea
sanity and philosophically on the humanity of
driving horse at the top of his speed:
Is not this day for ride? No mud yet.
The road is hard and moist. Just the kind
for spin. For | do not want any of your
lazy jogging gaits. | am entirely of your
mind that if horse had had swiftness put in
him, it is fair to give him chance to develop
his gifts. Of course there is bound. Rea-
son in all things. Even in trotting it is easier
and pleasanter for some horses to 90 twelve
miles an hour, than for others to 90 three.
They were made So Does it hurt a swallow
to 90 swifter than an OK? Why not? Be-
cause he was made so. 1t is easy to do the
thing we were made for to do easily, and
good horse was made to 90 fast. He does it,
when wild, of his own accord. He does not
lose the relish of speed, even when dOmesti-
Gated.
Take a fine fed horse who in harness looks
as if he were pattern of moderation, very
deacon of sobriety, and turn him loose in pas
ture. Whew, what changed He takes one
or two steps slowly, Just to be sure YOU have
his heels high in the air, till the sun flashes
/ from his polished shoes, and then off he goes,
faster and fercer clear across the lot, until the
/ flashing, his name lifted and swelling, his tail
up ike kings sceptre, he snorts defiance to
you from affair; and with a series of rearings,
running sideways, pawings and plungings,
| fTiskings and whirls, he starts again with i'm
1Nf
ming. Do you net see that it is more than
fun? 1t is ecstacy. 1t is horse-rapture.
never see such spectacle that l am not
painfully impressed with the inhumanity of
not letting horse run. Fastness is virtue.
Our mistaken moderation is depriving him of
it. i drive fast on principle. | do it for the
sake of being at one with nature. To drive
slow only and always, is to treat horse as if
he were an OK. You may be slow if you
think proper. But your horse should be kept
up to nature. He would have had but two
legs if it was meant that he should 90 only on
''go to meeting" pace. He has four legs
Of course he ought to do a great deal with
them.
Now, why do l say these things to you?
Not to convince you of your duty. But /
feared, lest taking me out to ride, you would
be disposed to think that l had scruples and
would Jog along moderately, as if doing me a
favor. Not at all The wind does not go
fast enough to suit me. If / were engineer
of sixty-mile-an-hour express train, should
covet twenty miles an hour more.
| Let the horse be well groomed-well har-
messed. Let the wagon be thoroughly looked
to-no screw loose, no flaw just ready to be-
tray us. Mount. l am by your side. The
whip is not needed. You let it stand in its
place, the graceful hint of authority in reserve
which is always wholesome to man and horses.
Now get out of town cautiously. No speed
here. This is place for sobriety, modera-
ton and propnety in driving. But once hav-
ing shaken off the crowd, give you a look,
and disappear instantly in a wild excitement,
as if all the trees were crazy and had started
off in a race, as if the fences were chalk lines,
as if the earth and skies were commingled
and everything were wildly mixed in super
natural excitement, neither of the earth nor
of the skies.
The wind has risen since we started. 1t did
not blow at this rate, surely. These tears are
not of sorrow. But really this going like a
rocket is new to every sense. Do not laugh
if clutch the seat more firmly. / am not
afraid. 1t is only excitement. You may be
used to this birds business of flying But
don't draw the rein. am getting calm. See
that play of muscle. Splendid machinery
was put into these horses. Twenty horse
power at least in each And how they enjoy
it No forcing here. They do it to please
themselves, and thank You for chance !
Look at that head Those ears speak like a
tonguel The eyes flash with eagerness and
will Is it three miles? ImposSiblel 1t is
not more than half milei
Well, draw up. Let me 60 off now and
see these brave creatures. What, not enough
yet? No painful putting, no throbbing of the
TANKS. They step nervously and champ the
bit, and lean to your caresses, as if they said,
''All this we have done to please you, now just
let us 90 to please ourselves!