, 1875-07-04
THE PIT.
/ PLEA FOB C0CE-F1QHT1Ed.

PLEA FOB CoC6-T1HT1Sd.
The position takon in the following letter in
respect to cock fighting, by Admiral H. J. Rous
shows that this noble and e1hiarating pastime
has its fond admirers in England:
r. the Editor Of tho London 7tnaes :-SR F.: motion
to Her Majestys subjects who indulge IN the most an
cient and Royal amusement Of cock-dghung induces
me to trespass Oh your columns
this SPORT owing to Its cruelty On this principle, why
not make pigeon-shooting illegal, when fAt Herods,
ans hs say the Rn9 wy not
la::es amusement what can 30 more hrut4l than I'm
paling worms on hooks, or trolling with live bait to
Ia pleasant pastime, although tho victim differs in
oilion Neisher ia there much to be sad in favor Of
grand ba:tu<s where hundreds Of birds and ground
game escape mut4ted to live miserable to be cat
by rAts.
Ali these xmusemcnts must ct necessity Be cruel,
but they sanctioned By the upper caa=es and the
the cockpit il it greater boon for Young cock to be
we'll fed and reared to fight battle II victorious to
dozen little hens for his comfort to cut his throat
early in life TO satsfy the appetite Of carniveroua
man And this man. who daily ts an accessory to the
murder Of youth in the shape Of vea lamb and sprng
cdckens prides himself on bis suitability, and IN the
House Ut Comnons exFAates on the cruelty Of allow
Ing puguaclous Fds to contend in fhr dsh to the ad
iration Of thousands Of good. honest who delight
in such specimens Of frstrate pluck and courage A
vegetarian may tndulgsin such romance, or Fakr who
happy family. must b clear to every man that in
this country there Is one law for the rich aud another
for the poor The snoo stcks to the former, but ths
ancient times lie gamscock was considered In emblem
Of divinity by the Syrians and Greeks.
When Thenistocles besieged Danatia, he command
cd that two cocks should be fought in the open view
Of his army, md exhorted thom to behave a. these
stout-heared creatures fought pomponius Ne1a, the
ssssd tt He oan Empfe @ aa mot
aulougftA He proves that severus WIS not
able to conquer Britain until he had rendered his
hins u main Il eocfs eva2y day befose tbe. The
soo.hs4yers warned Mark Antony to take heed OF
Caesar. because his cocks vere always beasen by him
The great Gustavus tod the King Of Denmark he
had TO fear the 1mperia1sts since they had
given up cooking and were devoted to drinking and
dancing; Christian, king Of Denmark s.td; We're Yer
stantinop!e would choose none but cookers for my
commanders. and none but lovers of the sport for
Our Henry VIII. built stately pit in Whitehall,
where be often d1sported himself among his most
noble and loving subjects. The dying speech Of Sir
T. Urquhart who wounded 1t the battls Of Nase-
By, was " Ny hing and good cock have ever loved,
and hks good cock in my soveregns service elady
now expire"
A Mr. Wilson, in the LAST century, advises all men
who take delight IN this delicious and pleasant pastme
to forsAke snauate Themselves from 1t. 30
long as 1t shall please the Almighty to bless and pres
per them and he adds that We arc bound to en-
courage cockhghting anong ourselves and to dis
courage it among ali foreign nations.
with the great mobiles of this Kingdom, be nov
sin, am an old and hardened Sinner. In lBtt, IN
bred cocH from Sydney to AalAeca, and fought
ten battles with Chinese merchant who had do.
feated ali the Malays. We won every battle, and
would go 2co n,les to SEQ main betuee.
the Cheshire Piles and the Lancashire Blac1breasted
Reds II there was no legal prohibition. Any amuss-
ment which cressea Alliances and augments friendly
acquaintance adds to the strength Of the Empire for
united We stand ; and the uonotony Of human Ms IN
relieved BY every salutary diversion
I finish by quotation from ancient writer:
"We In our ahortaighted wisdom, deem ourselves
superor to our and rdcula their pastmes
aud pursuits forgetting that in few years another
generation will hustle OF the STAGE and will
venge our treatment Of our Anneatozs by treating nj
With similar indigntty."
An, Rr, your obediant servant,
H. ]. Rous, Admiral.