The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-17
Renewed Brutality.

YESTERDAY two accomplished bruisers from
New York indulged in the delicate operation
Of pummeling their mutual countenances into
such state of disbursement as to be totally
unrecoRnizable by their most intimate friends
There is good deal OF pith and vim in stand
ing up firmly for the purpose of being sclenti-
fcally knocked down. In certain circles 1t is
mark of great honor to sport sanguiuous
nose and couple of optics draped in mourn
ing. The prize is a belt, with cabalistic SYM
bols inscribed thereon. There are certain
classes ofcitizens who strongly desire to obtain
that singular reward OF merit. We may, per-
haps, be peculiar in our views, but we do not
sympathize with these games of the athletes
and gladiators. A belt upon the bridge of the
nose is just the thing we do not aspire to.
Perhaps we might, under certain circum-
stances, be induced to put belt around the
world, If any one could be found foolish enough
to detray the expenses Of such an excursion !;
but we cannot consent to have our natural
beauty maTred by contact with an indurated
"bunch OF fives," for any belt, however ornate,
that ever was cOntended for. The champion
" WIZ a AA1S Asihbi WhOCNOl uO luhJ DC lduu III
is always a question in dispute), is heartily
welcome to the honor of his position. If we
could secure one of the belts of Saturn, we
should gladly avail ourselves of so favorable
an opportunity, and exhibit it at some popular
place OF amusement for our own private
emolument; but we.could have no possible use
for the belt of the champion, unless it was to
submit our interesting person to the attacks
OF all the "mauleys," whose mission it is to
drive physical perfection into the heads of
their opponents by brute force and hard
knocks-a species of philosophy that may be
emphatic, but scarcely commendable.
These exhibitions of bestiality are becoming
entirely too common in this country, and do
not argue the increase of morality in our
midst. We do not believe that an ability to
strike out from the shoulder, and put in the
left skifully, is evidence Of an increased
Christian culture. History informs us that
the Lystrigonian Cannibals could break the
most tenacious rocks with single blow, yet
that brilliant effort never raised the race above
the level of mule, that, with an apparently
easy movement of the hinder parts, can knock
stable door into kindling wood.
The theory that physical development
is the chief end of life, is one that
will not stand inspection. The matador.
who fearlessly encounters the mad bull in the
ring, may be admired for his daring bravado,
but certainly will not rank with LUTHER.
LEoNIDAs, or DR.. KANE in personal courage.
The missionaries who have braved the perils
OF sea and land, and the dangers from wild
beasts and wilder men, have exhibited a more
admirable strength OF heart than all the prize
fighters that have disgraced the world. The
Benicia Boy is simply fine specimen of
stalwart beast, very much after the style of
the swine Of obese tendencies who are fre-
quently exhibited at agricultural fairs. brave
in ribbons, and only remarkable for their
grossness and dissimilarity to humanity.
But the surroundings of the prize-ring are
even worse than the institution ITSELF Those
of our readers who have attended these fear
full scenes will bear us witness that they are
the very stamping ground of the f1end. The
company collected is composed of the worst
characters that the purlieus of our large cities
disgorge whenever anything of peculiarly
villanous nature is about to take place. The
air is redolent with the heaven daring dialect
of the damned, belched from both male and
female lips. The whole system is one that
deserves the sterness reprobation from all
good men, and especially Of all in authority.
By proper measures these disgraceful scenes
can be discountenanced SO as to make them
entirely odious in the eyes of the people; and
it should be DONE