National Republican., 1888-03-24
s\vE riltr p1nns.
Rev. Dr. ralmase Appeals for the
Fcathert,d SongSters,

NEVADA, Mo-, MAI, 23.--rhe Rev. Y. De
witt Talmagc, ID. d., of Brooklyn, " " who
IS making II lecture excursion in the west
substitutes the following letter for his usual
Friday night talk at lhe Tabernacle:
,r,n Th; I'm morning n@1 g9t 9 my hand eqact
yentlon of Cruelty, 70 Animals, Il contaius.a
letter from Pundita Rhmabal OF India, In
which She says, there Is more wrong done the
mor,ilug 800 birds SyCro found dead at the fob'
of IN, Bmtholdi statue In New York harbur.
ihcy AayIng been attractcd, by the light, an
Of reoplc cried; What a pity Hut tbSt
devastation of brigLt pluncs Is insignificant
compared with the systematic and wide.
read inassaSte "i birds, not FOR food but for
The lIench actfes.cs, a precious group.
'umc Of them divorced twoor three times, anil
ION wlIeS II was hoped was dying out, !
igiepfo the bird millinery, or the adornment
~ hat. with the winged deni2cns of the sky
birds for the purposes of fashion, not only ST.
lrnrng The songs of our forests. but surr1u
GCring the agriculture of the laud 10 the worst
mscctilc devastation that the world ever saw
sincc the lOcusts and the flies came down TO
plague Egypt, Those who are unaware of the
actS nE" no IE@ "i InG ,Sa'GnSSa M GnS cPc PSg
~ the friends of man aud the enemies Of
lmmiul insects. While hawks. once in u
while disscctcd have, been found to have dc
.Loilcd the barnyard Of y chicken, the most
| uf their crops are filled with vcrmin ana In
| ,cCts. But WE are not appealing Tor the
! hawks. II we had gun on our shoulder ana
| we were n good marksman and we saw
| hawk wheeling about n hen house or
! chicken coop, we would not pledge ourselves
e abStncnGe But we dc plead for ,b the ~ whole
| gUOus plumagc or sweet cadence; the orioles,
| tie gfossbcaks, tho robins, the quails, the
meadow larks, the blue birds, the ,cuckoo'.
La ,lp hn t,fn hg mi ntr
| birds, the swallows, the kinghshcrs, the Jays,
| the turtle doves the stHrllngs, which are by
| The skyful being swept into the millinery cs-
The groves, the orchards the forests Of
| America are being exterininntGd OF all winged
life. seventy thousand birds from one Village
| we've sent to New York not FOR iOod--for that
would be lcgitimatc-but for human hcautiti.
cation. \ tlrec.mnnths' trip in South Caro-.
| lima furnished for the market 1000 bird skins.
Cne sportsman furnished 10000 white egrets,
| and at Cape Cod, In one season, 1O,WD terms
were slain for the same purpose. An estab-
lshment of New York hargaincd to furnish =
! PHriSian firm with 10000 of these dead mll.i'
clans. 4 million bobolinks near Philadelphia
were killed, in one month! Whole species of
| birds have become extinct through persistent
splingng of the trap and flashing Of the gun.
Last February one house in New York had on
| hand 100000 bird skins. one auction room In
London, IN three months, sold $4,000 East
India bird skins and 10000 West India and
scientific museums. or for human diet,
, that would he cXClisable. but this uni.
versal wnr is now mostly wagcd either for fun
or fashion. What state Of things when u
daily paper, says of a ladys hcaddress: she
had, whole nest OF, sparkling, scntillating
II eE WGa 70 and SS sSye " AZ"
other: Her gown of unrelievcd black, loopeh
up with blackbirds and winged creature 50
dusky that IT could have been intended l2r
nothing but crow, reposcd among the braidS
of her hair"
If this were a mere matter Of whim or senti
lncnt would not treat Of II, but we are slay
ing whole armies of our natural defenders
once In u whilc-as when II few years ago all
the streets of most of our cities were so loath
some with caterpillars- sometimes took the
middle of the street In prefcrenccto to the side
walk,and we were all much of the time engaged
in the philantTopic effort Of removing from
each others hats and coats and shawls these
crawling invaders. and as the grasshoppei
scOurge swept Kansas and Iowa into semi
laupcrism we get some idea of what an all
destructive force of inseGtile life might In 0
the harp bcaks Of innumcrable birds hindo
tom. 4 scientist tells US that these insect
multiply so rapidly that in one season one pal
We want more birds millions Of them multi
ned 1,y other millions, that shall sing in ever!
n,c top and ilutter out Of every grove ant
barring q e orchards and gardens and the hall
vest fields of America to an exposure that l
awful beyond calculation SO the ornitholo
gts tell ns 50 the agricultural depar,msn
committees tell us, so our own commo
,ense tells US; The laws on thi
ready upon our books are not executed. Wha
is most needed and what will be most effet
tive will be the estabTMSS%SGiHSto SGiSoSf # a. PublS So,
'psSatt ppSatdi n Is 5Atfgg6}fRd tfg SRA slaughter II once the
realize the wrong they will extinguisl 1t. Th
kindly and songfnl birds have enough enemie
God have a. harder time to live than the!
First, they have enemles; in the animal kin!
dom. as man has in his; the eagles, the crow
the SQUIRRELS, the weasels are their assailant
then the hurricanes dash then against tn
.ocks and beat them against lighthouses, an
tangle them in the telegraphic wires and TO.
their semi;annual migration; and they lay
their own disteInpers to contend against, an
what a gauntlet of earth and sky the
sportsman or taXidermist For God
orchards and the gardens, Of which they al
member that while you have navies and aTrnit
TO keep off other enemies, against whole kim
doms OF singing, besoiling, and deatlful an
malcnle there Is only one weapon that hi
ever been formed or ever will be formed, an
that Is a birds beak. Do not pull down yol
Il, own fortresses Do not spike your own gun
Il this perpetual shooting and stoning Of yol
|. leathcred friends. feed the snow bird fro
/. yoiT window and listen quietly TO the song
= The forest and coax the advances of the,
i bright creatures OF God, and remember that u
Il birds had residence given them in this wor
A one day before man was given his residenc
d The thS'' record core ii is; "The evening and Il
y . morning We're the fifth day After the or
:, alton Of man the record Is The evening an
- tion right Of twentyfour hours, or, taking Y
|; modern idea that, d day meant ages, then 4
II meadow.lark, and the grossbeak, and =
o yaaT n Be- RnRG Be gsSs
y be humane toward your illustrious predccC
W Sors. Do not kill the musicians. Do not sho
y the orchestra. Do not asSassinate the
e prima, donnas OF, the Sky. The, world b,
Z enough groans hut not enough roundela
=; enough sighs, but not enough carol; enouI
" drges, but not enough anthem. God aga
,rr beautiful creatures Of Ills Laild Christ poin
e 70 the brillant PumagS and says "BehS ,S
Heavenly Father iefd9,h th", And nd, aga e,
@ %s oG %n9 Yet You "es Sad G s.G sS.r Ss G%s S
= Your children at the breakfast or the dinil
a or the tea table than God could forget to fe
III the smallest hnmming bird,
er The wife Of a United states senator told n
oi family the following incident She said 10 &
lo great Alexander II, stephens Come and $
se my canary bird that has Just died. No
us bird with any composure; It makes me cry
surely II God declares His deep interest in |
birds we need, not be ashamed of having
feeling of regard for them. How sympathi
Id with them, especially In the autumn, VIII
,e they have 10 move. In many q tree-top III,
'1 day after day, hold their Scmi'annual GOnyc
~ tion, moving and passing resolutions on I
D. subject of migratOn; some proposing To 20
" morrow, some moving To go to-day; sol
H. moving to go TO Brazil, some 10 Florida, sOT
lS, Ia thp fable lands Of MpNiro but ali ma
OF nous In the fact that they must 90 soon;
l.. they have marching orders from the Lon
cr written IN the pictorial volume of the char
ing leaves. There Is not belted kingtish
or chaf1inch. or u ilrc.crestcd wren.
pover, or red.lGgged partridge but G
ms poets To spend every winter at