The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-05-14
APhiIozoic Society.

From, the N. Y. Methodist.
We see from the newspapers that the citi-
zens Of Philadelphia are about to follow the
example of New York. and of some other pOr-
tions of the civilized world, in forming a
society to prevent cruelty to brutes. In using
the word brute, we intend no dsparagement
of the lower animals. We ourselves are ami
mails, and to talk of cruelty to animals, using
no qualifying word, is to create pause, if not
to awaken disgust in the mind of the critical
reader. The charge implied in the intent of
such a society is the harsh treatment of seve-
raj sorts of animals by another animal of a
somewhat higher organization The word of
Scripture is:-"Thou hast made him a little
lower than the angels, and placed him over
the works of thy hands" Man is, therefore,
the governor, and in a certain sense, the
owner of brute creatures, and yet his autho
rity is subject to law.
As power, unmatched and unrestrained
converts the weaker man into a slave and
stronger men into tyTants over all under their
control, so is it here, and even more surely.
The brute in the master fears no punishment
for the maltreatment of horse or OK, or dog.
His anger finds an easy outlet, and patient
silence or trembling, scampering terror, is the
only reproach. And this seems, in most cases,
to be OF but little force. The horse under the
saddle stumbles, and down comes the keen
lash; this makes him start and curvet, and the
stripes are repeated in quick succession, while
the curb is drawn almost to the breaking of
the under-jaw. The butcher, in bringing his
calves to the slaughter house, allows their
heads to hang over the sharp edge of the CARTS
tail-board, thinking it is nothing, as a still
worse fate awaits them, or, perhaps, not think
ing at all. And yet the rider and butcher may
occupy comfortable seats in church the next
Sunday, and never think of charging them
selves with cruelty.
This shows that there is much wrong in our
theory as well as in our practice. We have
not been taught that brutes have any rights,
or even that gentleness towards them is any
thing more than poetic or romantic virtue.
We thought, when we reasoned at all, that a
butcher, or poultereT, or fisherman, might
as well be warned against the cruelty of their
callings as that man should be taken to
task for venting his rage upon brute. That
this view of responsibility prevails in regard
to the brute creation, may be seen in the laws
of at least some of our States Is there any
thing in the law among us to make a cock
fight or a dog-tight, or a bull-bait a felony
Can man be held accountable before the
civil magistrate for starving his horse or COW
Certainly not. Our lawmakers had no idea
OF refinement which should express itself
favorably to brute comfort or if they had
they regarded such refinement as below the
dignity of law and left the brute to the tender
mercies of his more cunning and more power
full fellow creature. The truth is, that the
logic of these societies for the protection of the
lower animals is easily capable of being
pushed to very inconvenient extent, and the
Legislators have, perhaps been little cautious
on this account.
If it is wrong, for example, to beat horse
under the influence of anger, is it not equally
wrong to strain him to the utmost verge of his
strength in a race ? and when the contest is
meek and neck, " is it not especially -ong to
ply spur and whip with all the strength of
hand and wheel ? And should not the ordi-
nary horse-race, with its beating and strain
ing, be an indictable offense If it is wrong
and cruel-sO much so as to call for the inter
ference of the philozoic society to allow
calves heads to hang out over the cart tail
board, is it not equally wrong to make sport
OF the pangs of insectivorous birds Hunting
and butchering are, of course both lawful
callings, considered as callings; but to hunt
and to kill for mere sport the creatures that
add charm to human lie, is altogether an
other thing. We feel a stronger repugnance
to the sporting bird-shooter than to the angry
horseman. The philozoic society must look
into the amusements which have to do with
the pangs of the brute creation.
But, dear reader, let it not be understoou
that we would have these humane socleues
cease their work. until they can do all that
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