The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-08-19
HOW ~E wEaE MADE nEArHEss

the flowers and green fields, and Gods
glory is visible in the dewdrop and in the
growing of the plants as in the splendor of
the heavens. We may derive invaluable
lessons, philosophers say, from the mearest
lis creatures, and races that we deem dc
graded furnish examples of truthfulness q. 4
virtue that put TO shame tins boosted Chris
tian civilization. We send missionaries o
the heather, and yet there was never dis
covered, till after it passed through New
Workers. hands, falsely packed box of
tea, AMI no cotton-buyer will pay a dollar
for the Christians cotton bale till holes
hsve0 een forced through it to see that its
material is uniform, and that there is not
an old grindstone in lis midst. Cinnamon
practiced no frauds in trade till our
race taught them all manner of vices.
But it is not of this that we
proposed to speak. Yesterday a
long-legged, sun-burnt Texan was driving
twelve.oxen, attached to a wagon freighted
at the quarries, along the Avenue The
patient weary animals moved along and
steadily enough, each seemingly drawing
an equal share of the great burden; but
simply from force of habit the driver, that
he might hear the accustomed sound, at
regular intervals, whirled the long hesvY
lash Of his endless whip about his head and
as it struck the cringing brute the flesh
quiyered, and che bright softly lus-
trous eyes of the, helpless animal trembled,
and we could almost see the tear of an
guish start as the head went down to avoid
the painful blow. 1t was horrible to con-
witness this brutality of men, which often
makes US ashamed that we learned to apply
the word "brute" to the quadruped and to
say of the soulless biped, man, that he
was made after Gods image. 1t surely was
an empty image that was copied. The pa
tient endurance of the animal was godlike /;
the cruelty of man fiend-like Two China
men watched the conduct of the remorse-
less wagner. They shrank back aghast
looking with almond eyes bleared wide
open in unutterable amazement and horror
when each blow descended, and when great,
white marks were left upon the backs of
the blistered beasts of burden the two sym
pathetic Cinnamon grew almost white with
horror. But this is Christian land, and
We send missionaries to China to teach
them to have mercy and deal honestly and
love the neighbor as we love ourself.
And, just here. would it not be well for
US to inquire whether we may not gather
lessons in virtue as well as in practical wis
dom from these so-called ''heathen 2" A
treveler tells:
''That the Chinese never punish beast
they use and hence g mule that, In the
hands of foreigner, would be not only
useless, but dangerous, becomes, in the
possession of q Chinaman, as quiet as lamb,
and as tractable as dog. We never saw a
runaway, or q vicious mule or pony in a
Chinaman's employment; but found the
same rafting, cheerful pace maintained
over heavy or light roads by means of a
cluck-k-k, the beast turning to the right Or
left and stopping with but hint from the
reins. This treatment is extended to all
the animals they press into the service
Often have admired the tact exhibited in
getting large drove of sheep through mar
row, crowded streets and alleys, by merely
having little boy to lead one of the qui-
etest of the flock in front, the others stead
lily following without the aid of either a
yelping cur or cruel goad." 2 Il
3 If an intelligent, thoughtful man could ex-
list and see and think who had never heard
aught of the philosophy of Confucius or of
that of the Bible, and the results of the two
codes of morals were placed before him as
we see them illustrated here in Austin in
the sober, steady industry of the Chinese,
and in the violent effort and whisky-guz-
cling blaspbemy and intolerable cruelty of
the civilized Christian, we must confess
that the unprejudiced observer would dis
cover most to admire in the poor Monaghan,
and most to abhor in the brutal wretch
who amuses himself by lashing the helpless
oxen. The stranger from another planet
would not hesitate to say that the philosophy
of Confucius had done more to make men
angels than that system which had produced
the OK goad and policeman's brass buttons,
baton and six-shooter, especially when that
policeman, hourly witnessing it, is even un-
conscious of the criminality of the OK
drivers conduct. Remembering then that
the Chinaman claims that Confucius gave
paternity TO the injunction that we should
do unto others as we would have them do
unto us, the unprejudiced observer of events
in Austin would surely give precedence in
decency and honesty and practical virtue to
the SO called heather, and would have the
Chinese send missionaries to this America
Seriously, is there not some sad mistake
about this missionary matter3 When we
saw the oxen dashed and the Chinese pity
ing them, and no Christian white man Civ
ing the matter second thought, we went
over to heathenism.