The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-06-24
Ghe SntellioeNfer.
fes Nos. 30 aud ~ Fourteenth Street.
lSGEnsOlL on yIylsrCTlON.
Tho Lawyer Expresses Himself Strongly
Against Such Methods uf Scisucs,

Against Such Methods Of science,
Robert G. Ingersoll has addressed tn
following letter 10 Philip G. Peabody,
Boston philanthopist, on the evils o
vivisection: Il. ...a
my DEAR FRlESD:-Yivisec,ion /
the inquisilion OF science. All til,
cruelty which the human, or rather tn,
inhuman, heart IL capable Of inilic,inl
Is In this ono word. Below this there i
no depth. This word lies like collie,
serpent Mt the bottom OF the abyss. w
can excuse In part, the crimes Of passion
We take into consideration the TACT tina
man Is liable 10 bu caught by tho whirl
wind, and that from n brain on fire III,
soul PUSHES TO u crime. but what ex
cuse can ingenuity form for q man who
deliberately, with an unaccelerateL
pulse, with the calmness OF John Calvin
vt the murder OF Servetus, seeks with
curious and cunning knives, iu tho liy
Ing, quivering flesh Of II dog, for all the
throbbing nerves Of pain?
THE wretches who commit these In.
famous crimes pretend that they are
working for the good OF man; that they
are. actuated by philanthropy, and that
their pity for tho suiierings OF the hu.
man race drives out all pity for tho ami.
mails they slowly torture to death. But
those who arc incapable OF plying IN.
imGls nre, asa matter of fact, incapable OF
plying man. A physician who would cut
living rabbit In pieces, laying bare the
nerves, denuding them with knives,
pulling them out with forceps, would
not hesitate to try experiments with
men and women for the qualification OF
his curiosity. 10 settle some theory he
would ttiiie with the life of any patient
in his power. He will say that it Is bet.
ter for few animals to suffer than that
one human being should die, and that
il is lar better that one patient should
die. II through sacrifice OF that one sew.
eral may be saved. .@
brain without heart is far more dan.
gerous than heart without brain. Have
these scientific assassins discovered any.
thing Of value? They may have settled
some disputes as to the action OF some
organ, but have they added to the use
full knowledge OF the race? 1t is not
necessary for man to be specialist in
order to have and express his opinion
as to the right or wrong Of vivisection.
1t is not Necessary to be a scientist or
naturalist to detcst cruelty and to love
mercy. Above all the discoveries ofthe
thinkers, above all the inventions Of the
ingenious, above all the victories won
Oh the fields Of Intellectual conflict, rise
human sympathy and sense Of justice.
u know that good for the human race
can never be accomplished by torture.
| also know that all that has been ascer-
tanned by vlvisection could have been
done by the dissection OF the dead or, at
least, OF animals completely and per-
fectly under the merciful influence OF
ether. know that all the torture has
been useless. All the agony inflicted
has simply hardened the hearts Of the
criminals, without enlightening their
minds.
ut may be that the human race might
be physically improved il all tue sickly
and deformed babes were killed, and il
all all tho paupers, liars, drunkards,
thleyes, villains and vivisectionists were
murdered. ALI this might, in few |
ages, result in the production OF gen.
Grafton OF physically perfect men and |
women. But what would such beings |
DO worth-men and women healthy and |
heartless, muscular aud cruel2'