The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-08
PARTICIPANT-NOT DOMINANT.
The poor beetle that we tread upon

PARTICIPANT-N0T DOMINANT.
The poor beetle that we tread upon
In colporeal suferance finds pang as great
As when giant dies. -Shakspeare'
The world in which we dwell still bears
upon its materialism much OF the impress of
Paradise. By the first legend man is given
dominion over every living thing that
moveth upon the earth. But fallen man has
abused his jurisdiction, and with wanton
license has reveled among its privileges, until
f'the fear of man and the dread Of man is now
upon every beast of the earth, and upon every
fowl of the air, and upon all that moveth
upon the earth. and upon all the fishes of the
sea-" The whole animal kingdom labors and
is in violence because of mans cruelties, and
from all sentient being sounds the cry Of uni
versal suffering-the woful sign of homage
to the power Of man.
Nerves, pain and mental anguish are of the
same type, though of varying degrees, through
out the animal world. There is unity Of fac
ultv as we'll as of function and structure in
the kingdom of life This lesson of likeness
between man and brute, implying, as it does,
the lesson Of gentleness and tenderness to all
living creatures, should be early taught
and often repeated, and the growing
boy, rude and strong-himself Plato says,
'the veriest of all savages'-be frequently re-
minded that
He prayeth well who loveth well
Both man. and bird and beast
He pfayeth best who loveth best
All things both great and SMALL
FoI the dear God who loveth u.s.
He made and loveth all.
It is to the credit of biology that it has set
tied on firm basis the idea that man does
not hold an isolated place in nature; that his
origin is not recent, nor he the central figure
in the animal world and separated so far from
his brute allies, in either structure function
or intellect as not to be touched by their
misery and suffering. The wild beasts and
the domestic animals are poured into the
same mold, are of the same earth as man;
the physiognomy of pain, the love of young
the instinct bordering on intelligence, lsug-
gest that man is participant with them in all
the grosser facts of material and present exist
ence They give the same tone-are pitched
in the same key The world is, after all, not
80 much adapted to man as he to it. Light
was before his eye; sound before his ear. He
is as clay poured in the mold Of the earth;
the outcome and final product of nature,
rather than that for which nature exists.
With this idea of mans relation TO
nature, a part and substance of it,
his attitude toward and proper treatment of
the brutes and the plant creation is evident
enough. If man destroys the birds, the in
seets ravage his crops. If he destroys the
forest, local climatic changes are produced and
the foods devastate the valleys. Not only
living things, but the very rocks and soils, the
air and waters are in the keeping and under
his dominion If he breaks the balance be-
tween organic and inorganic nature, it is at his
peril. Man. in short, can destroy and deyas
tate the earth its animals, its plants, its soils,
or he can act in sympathy and harmony with
all outward nature.
The gospel of peace should be proclaimed to
all living The fierce war of elements is over.
The earth, fire, air and water are at rest. The
day of reptiles and fierce mammals is gone.
In the old pictures of the mother and Holy
Child, not only the ducks the oxen and dogs,
but the very flowers turn their heads to view
the herald of peace on earth and good will.
With such horrors Of wickedness-human
rapine, lust, cruelty to and murder of little
children-as have filed the papers the last
fortnight, it might seem better to turn atten-
ton to the suferings of little children, of wom-
sn, of the weak and defenseless among men,
rather than to the cruelties practiced OH cat
tie in transit, or to fighting cocks and racing
horses, But perhaps Mr.. Bergh and Mr..
Brown, with their societies for the prevention
of cruelty to animals, may form another sue
,essful line of attack on the demon of cruelty