The New York herald., 1871-02-05
,cen discussed by the greatest minds Of all arcs ana


been reached few years ago II was trlumphanuy
asserted that the faculty OF reason the dstinc
i've dlnerence between the tw0 that man possessed
that faculty and that the brute did not. There are
few Intelligent and observing minds at the present
DAY that have not been compelled TO cdms that the
brute possesses faculty identical with what In man
we call reason. Dr. Newman says that volition, or
what he calls "the voll,ional act,n Is what con.
stitutes the distincton-a very unsatisfactory ex.
PLANTATION, apprehend, to those oil his hearers who
tooK any interest In the subject Nothing Is planer
than that brutes act precisely as do under similar
circumstances; ana yet In man we call 1t reason In
the brute instinct. Does not tho dog practice vo
tion, or choice, whom we attempt TO call him away
from his master s 1t not plain that he prefers his
master to stranger, and chat he acts precisely az
we should act under similar circumstancesf There
IL, IN fact no distinction, and 1t Is human pride
rather than the common sense OF mankind" that
seeks to make the distinction. Principles that are
Identical cannot be made to differ by simply giving
them different names. Reason can never be made
instinct by calling It by that name. "It is hard to
define this difference says DR.. Newman-sO hard,
add, that 1t has never been done and never can be-
for the very good reason that there no difrerence
instinct In the lower animals. Bu. | may be
asked II reason and lnstmc. are the same.
the results OF reason !; those which do nor
require vOlition, on the results o. insrincI. Volun-
tary acts are reasonable; involuntary ones are in
st!nctve. The one Is attended by thinking the
other without. Reason IN man aud other animals ID
the same In Kind bus only different III quality or
degree. Human PRIDE, know, is greatly averse to
such an admission, because or some preconceiyed
nation Men dare not think. they dare not use the
faculties that God has gwen them. Why IL men
dared to think and TO follow the dictates OF truth the
entire structure OF Our relations to the brute crea
ton, to each other and to God would be greatly
modified, II not completely destroyed. When men
learn that tne brute was created by the same hand,
Is possessed with the same faculties in kind with
same kind and parental care tnen shall We learn to
honor. honor Cod BY treating ms creatures with
ture the more We exat the Creator"
In our relations with the lower animals. There Is
NOT faculty IN the human mind or body, aver,
word to demonstrate the assertion TO any one who
Will deny IL. and point out such faculty. II this DO
tlue ana we can pe made to realize IL, the result
would be to secure To them In many ms ances o
better treatment at our hands. Dr.. Newman goes
on to SAY that In man there exists triple nature
the PHYSICAL the animal and the intellectual Does
not the brute, ask, possess all these alsoS Has
he not physical structurei Yes. Has he not
capacities and passionap Most certainly. And
has he not reason aud lntelect2 Undoubtedly he
has. Wherein, then does he differ from man2 But
you VIII say tnaG II the brute mas all the faculties
that man possesses why Is he not accountablef
There ls no reason VIII, he should not be account
able, and observation daily teaches US tnat he is To
whons 1t may be asked. TO his god, reply And
who IS his god9 His u,aster-llan Nor VIII is
seem strange that the dog ees his accountability to
human race worship and pay homage only TO
their Iellownen Dut To blocks Of wood and stone,
animals aud reptiles.
Ii what have said be true-and challenge refu.
tation-what then. is the distinctive difference be-
tween man and the brute2 They both have physi-
Cal structure, both nave appeLes and passions and
b0tu have intellect aud reason. The difference,
Then, seems TO De this-that wnle the brute may
excel us In many Instances III his physical structure
and De quite equal TO US IN his appetiteS and pas
sions. yet man excels him almost infinitely In the
scope OF his Intellectual powers. VINDEX.
True Christian Goes for DIR. HaIl-Are
Catholics lMice, Rats nnd Prey-seeking
Owlss
To THE EDITOR OF TIE HERALD
Last night went TO hear the Rev. DR.. John Hall
deliver his lecture on ''Scepticismn at Association
Hail. aud, greatly to my disgust, remained until he
had finished. He divided sceptcism into two parts
philosophical and sensational.
Under the head OF sensational scepticism he In
cluded the religious question and in the most forci-
bic terms denounced The Roman Catholics as per-
Jurers, inhdes opposcrs 10 the Holy Bible, and even
goes SO FAR as to try DR.. Tyngs game of comparing
them 70 mice, rats and to vermn OF the lowest and
basest kind. For representatives OF the Roman
Catnolc Cnurcn lie SHOWS up such mel as Voltalre,
R0sseau aad PANE, the very names OF whom the
Roman Catholics have been taught to abnOr. He
also speaks OF Jlm Haggerty Heddy the Blacksmith
and kulo1 as The class 0i men Of which the Roman
Catholic Church Is composed. He reviews the lives
OF men Who, having lett the Roman Catholic Cnurcn,
,Der services were sought after and finally obtained
~ Dr. hats own ancestors, and these men died the
paid hireiingS ol his own creed.
Now, mr. Editor, 10 think that man, and he o
minister of tae Gospel can degrade himself as to
cail Ills fellow men MICE rats anu prey-seekIng Owls
because they do not happen to De OF The same creed
as himself and to hold up TO lns auditors the three
worst men he could fn1 ali over the world simply
because they were born Roman CathoiIcs-aud am
very happy TO add, tney died belonging to tue same
sect whose doctrines tie Rev. DR.. HAL processes to
teach To think man OF Intelligence could be
found who would SO lar forget himself to call
GOWN tne curses Oi Goa and all Heaven to
blot out or existence u religion whose num-
bers IN TINS city exceed by SO lar the
numbers or all otner religions put tOgetherl The
idea Is totally absurd. | would not have noticed It
at all, only wish to let Dr. Hall know that although
ne received deaening applause from his silly audi
TORS, thefe was one among them VINO regards him
as a peruring ass.
In short, his lecture was base caumny against
the Roman Catholic religion, ana all who applauded
MN were as bad as the lecturer himself
you VIII be KIND enough 10 give this space in
your valuable paper you VIII not ouly oblige an old
subscriber 10 your paper, but also
JAN, Is, lS7l. A TRUE CHRISTIAN.
American Rble Society.
The stated meeting OF the Board OF Managers was
held at the Bible Ho Isc, Ast0r Place. on the %