The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-02-27
bergh a. . Benencent Being.

shall not praise him. We hate to do violence
to his modesty but we cannot hearken to his
appeal. There is no one in this community
we would rather praise than MIR. Henry
Bergh We do not know more benefcent or
more useful being He has the finest and
gentlest instincts. If be only had reasoning
faculties we should regard him as the divine
perfection of manhood. for there is subtle
and at the same time profound difference
between instinct and reasoning faculties. II
instinct could ever become q recognized quail
ity in the government of human affairs there
are highly bred horses who would make excel
lent members of Congress, and faithful shsp-
herd dogs in the possession of many private
people who would be safeguards Of the Trea-
sury as members Of the Board of Aldermen.
But, while we admire delicate instinct and
regard with pleasure the affection and fidelity
it engenders, on the part of the dumb
animal it is still far different from the
reasoning faculty. The difference between
the two qualities is precisely that between Mr..
Henry Bergh and. the larger part of his fellow
citizens. A more benefcent being has rarely
been created. he has qualities of persistence,
gentleness, energy, litheness of limb and sim
cerity OF purpose, earnest-going power, that,
if only utilized by the experienced trainers at
Jerome Park, would make him some day
worthy rival of Dexter or Kentucky. And
in truth We cannot but feel that Mr.. Henry
Bergh has in some way missed rare opportu-
mites. Men might say that any special re-
nown Of this kind would be marvellous; but
history has the great precedent of Nebuchad-
nezzar, a man of hne instinct, like Bergh-
and who followed the courage of his convic-
tons. We admit ACKNOWLEDGMENT took an I'M
usual course to gain fame, but he gained it.
Of the millions who lived with him he is one
OF the few who gained immortality. If Nebu-
chadnezzar had lived in our time he would
have omitted his pastures and become the
president of society for the prevention of
cruelty to animals.
If MIR. Henry Bergh were blessed with rea-
soning faculties he would see the grotesque
absurdity Of many things he does. A rea-
sonable man would say that the only way to
really accomplish humane work would be to
confine his energies to those acts of fragrant
cruelty to animals which we see every day.
But Mr. Henry Bergh seems to feel that the
animal creation has separate and indepen-
dent existence. Whether he holds that there
is o future life for animals we do not know,
not being conversant with his theological
views. At the same time we dread to imagine
what he would be apt to think on this subject,
and we are afraid his instinct will carry him
into the newspapers some day with views on
the subject that would distress many serious
persons. Already he has set himself up as an
authority against Abraham and Isaac and
Jacob, against David and Paul. There is
good Scripture for believing that these saints
and prophets imbrued their hands in the in
nocent blood of animals, while Christ selected
His apostles from class of men whom Mr..
Bergh would have prosecuted for torturing
and Staying fish. Now that we think of it,
there is not o prophet nor saint, nor any
conspicuous person in the Bible with whom
Mr.. Bergh is not at variance, with the single
exception, as we have before hinted of Nebu-
chadnezzar.
Reason would instruct Mr.. Bergh, among
other things, that there is no use in making
war upon housewives for boiling Holsters, for
trusting turtle and sacrificing terrapin to
the exigencies of soup. he would know that
the cheese-mite is being which has no rights
the gourmand is bound to respect. He would
feel that the crow in the field, and the rat in
the cellar and the fox in the forest are not
under the protection of statute. He would
learn that partridges and pheasants and
snipe are shot for sport and food, and that
the pigeon, which we also regard as zone of
the gentlest, most innocent and religiously
suggestive creatures belonging to the feathered
race" is generally resolved into pie. He
would not make the amusing blunder of de-
tending the pigeon at the expense of the
pheasant or the partridge, and of arresting for
q misdemeanor every gentleman who goes out
for days hunting. Now, Mr. Bergh either
means to do this or he means nothing at all. If
he does not SO propose, then we must regard
him not as benefcent being following his
instinct, but rather as q subtle, vain person,
with abundant reasoning powers, who, failing
to make his mark in any recognized calling of
effort and endeavor, seeks notoriety bya 'mis-
sion." One of Dickens characters had such
EMISSION" We mean the gentleman in Sop
perfeld" who spent his time flying kites. Some
times these persons with mission believe
that they are really the Angel Gabriel, or that
they have q special revelation announcing
that the world will end in six months, or that
they must convert the Pope, or that they
must be elected President of the United
States as tribute to their vanity If Mr..
Bergh is a reasonable and reasoning being then
we must regard him as "a man with mis-
sion," who may imagine tomorrow that he is
the Angel Gabriel and have an application be-
fore the Legislature for horn money.
But we do not so regard him. We
cling to the idea that he is benefcent
being, with fine, generous instincts, to