The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-11


spring Of benevolence that bubbles over from
the heart Of Bergh. There is something
absolutely sublime in the noble devotion of
the humanitarian knight Grant to the cause
OF the dumb brute. Though he can never
hope to hear his praises sung in canine song,
still the champion of the oppressed animals
raises up his voice amid this wilderness Of
selfishness which we term New York. No
matter what the odds, Bergh, like
Roderick Dhu, puts his back against
rock of virtue, which, for convenience
sake, he carries in his pocket, and defes
the whole world to combat for sake of his pet
brutes. Such disinterestedness and devotion
reveal an innate grandeur of soul that would
have done honor to the mythical heroes of re-
mote ages, and even now must command the
respectful homage Of degenerate age. IN
fortunately for the world, Bergh, like Quixote.
comes not before but after his time. The very
characteristics that in the golden ages of the
past might have won him place in Olympus
are liable in q plodding generation
to excite, not awe and reverence, but
rather pity and derision, Few people,
for instance, will be able to appreciate the
logical adherence to principle which Mr.
Bergh exhibits when protesting against the
city ordinance which condemns the canine
tribe to wear q muzzle during the hot and
sultry summer days. The defender Of the
dumb animal remembers that "'tis dogs
delight to bark and bite, and he naturally
objects to any curtailment Of single canine
right Men and women may be exposed to
the dangers of hydrophobia, but it appears
manifestly unjust to Mr.. Bergh that, be-
cause q few dogs may go mad and
bite, therefore the whole tribe should
suffer the indignity Of being muzzled.
Better that sixty or seventy people should
die of hydrophobia than that dogs should suf-
fer any inconvenience. Such is Bergh logic;
but though it may be thoroughly consistent
with itself, the public will scarcely admire its
beauty or its sense. The railway and the tel
egraph have quite taken US out of the idyllic
age, and we lnoderns are selfish enough to
prefer our own safety to every other con-
sideration and, as hydrophobia induces
rather an unpleasant mode Of exit
from this world, we prefer most decidedly
to restrain the liberty of wandering
dogs than to risk getting bitten The kind
hearted gentleman who fights the battles of
the poor dumb victims Of mans oppression
must therefore forgive us if we support the
Aldermen in their resolution to insist that no
unmuzzled dog shall wander in the streets
We would urge upon Mr.. Bergh that the bipeds
who dwell in this city have some rights that
dogs are bound to respect, and also to urge
upon the kind hearted champion OF the OPP
pressed that il he would turn his at
tention to the caring for men he
would find more than enough OBJ
iects for commiseration without wasting
so much valuable feeling on mad dogs. The
rescue Of the poor little victim from the Con-
noilys is a case in point Here the benevo-
lence of Mr.. Bergh found useful and worthy
application, and every one who read the
touching story of the poor little wait who had
never known mothers kiss felt grateful to
the philanthropist for his prompt action in
the interest of humanity. Will Mr.. Bergh
allow us to suggest that there lies open to him q
wide field OF usefulness in dealing with
similar cases and if he would consent to
let the fountains of his benevolence flow for
the benefit Of the children Of misfortune he
would be doing more good than by champion
ing badly behaved dogs. Let Mr.. Bergh re-
member that 'man's inhumanity to man
makes countless thousands mourn" and he
will perceive what wide and noble field for
exertion lies before him.