The New York herald., 1875-12-01
Mr.. Bergh and III. Friend inc Fsr.

nuAHM anu EEh0MU NMC ~As
Anumber Of correspondents have lately ad-
dressed us in reply to Mr.. Bergh's recent at
tack upon fox hunting, and though it is too
much to hope that he will be convinced by
the arguments he should certainly be bene-
flied by the tone of these good-tempered re-
n Dukes. If Mr.. Bergh were not incorrigible he
would have learned long ago that tenderness
70 the inferior animals often becomes inhu-
manity to man. There is sect Of Berghs in
India which holds it sin to take the life of
an insect, and its members therefore. pa
uently endure the stings of whole armies of
sacred bugs, holy heas and other sanity ver-
min. If only these morbid philanthropists
suffered by their religion it would not
matter much, but unfortunately the bugs
and feas they protect upon their own per-
sons have habit of emigrating to the bodies
of unbelieyers. This naturally causes an
unfriendly feeling between the sceptics and
the Berghs, and the former complain Bit
terly of the mercy which is nothing but
cruelty to them. Another division Of the
Berghs devotes itself to the cultivation
Of sacred wild. bulls, which are per-
mitted to gore the intidels. Then there
are the Berghs of the Nile, who have a
society for the prevention of cruelty to
crocodiles They consider it sin to kill a
crocodile, but the crocodiles do not consider
that they do wrong when they have Bergh
for lunch. Now these peculiar creeds may
do for barbarous countries, but no such re-
ligion can ever be popular in New Jersey.
Foxes are now Mr.. Bergh's especial pets
and fox hunters his particular aversion. But
why should foxes not be hunted? Why
should the method adopted by the hunters
be stigmatized as immoral and cruel
The fox is treated well for an out
lawed beast, a robber, midnight
assassin of unprotected hens. Here
arises a suggestion which it would be
wise in Mr.. Bergh to consider Has the hen
no claims upon his benevolence? Imagine
perchance, of omelets, or wondering
whether she would prefer to be served with
celery or sage. She does not dream, how
ever, that near her turks one of Mr.. Bergh's
emissaries in the form of the cruel fox The
agent Of the society approaches nearer one
leap and he has the hen by the throat over
his back she goes and he trots off to his den,
strewn with the bones of other victims,
where, it is to be hoped, after his meal is
over, he thanks Mr. Bergh for the blessing.
1t is plain that Mr.. Bergh is actually the
president of a society for the prevention of
humanity to chickens. 1t would be differ
ent, no doubt, if the chickens were his own.
The famous Knight of the Sorrowful Coun-
tenance, the renowned Don Quixote, may be
appropriately called the Henry Bergh of
Spain. One Of his exploits was to set free,
by the power of his sword, company of
malefactors who were being led in chains to
the galleys. When he triumphantly turned to
receive their thanks the cutthroats and ras-
calls of every degree at once set upon their
deliverer and, after robbing him, beat him
so badly that he was left for dead upon the
road. We shall not draw the terrible moral
of this story, We only say to Mr.. Bergh,
You have resolved to save the fox. Beware
beware lest he should cook your goose.