Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-08
ANIMAL CONSCIENCE.
The Sense of Shame and Justice in the
Dog and Other Animals.
From the Chicago Chronicle.

From the Chicago Chronicle
And now they say animals know right
from wrong, and that even in a puppy s
breast is kindled that spark of divine fire
a conscience.
The beasts of the field have eaten of the
fruit of the tree of the knowledge OF good
and evil. That they are capable OF loving
and of devoting themselves to those they
love, and that they offer models of maternal
and conjugal affection, has long been ad-
mitted, and today they are credited with
expressions of some notion. however OBJ
scure and imperfect, of good and evil, OF
merit and dement,, of Justice and in1usuce
There is familiar anecdote from the nat
uralist Romanes, about his dog. which
never stole a thing in his life, save once,
and then under these circumstances:
zone day when he was hungry" says his
master, "he seized a outlet from the table
and carried it under sofa. l was witness
to this fact, but pretended had seen moth
ing, and the culprit remained some minutes
under the sofa, divided between the desire
to assuage his hunger and the sentiment OF
duty. The latter finally triumphed, and the
dog deposited at my feet the outlet which
he had stolen. This done he returned to
conceal himself under the sofa, whence no
appeal could make him emerge. In vain
gently patted his head; the only effect of
this caress was to make him turn his face
with an air of contrition that was truly
comical."
What gives particular value to this ex-
ample, concludes Romanes, is that the dog
in question had never been beaten, so that
1t could not have been fear of corporal pun
ishment which actuated him. In him there
seems to be an animal that knows what he
owes to another. There are also animals
which know what is due them. 1t has
often been stated that certain beasts have a
precise idea of what can be exacted from
them without injury, and that they ask in
their own way to be limited to their proper
obligations. The mules on tramways in New
Orleans have to make their trip five times
in succession. They go four times without
any manifestations of rebellion, but at the
end of the fourth round began to bray.
DR.. EdmOnson, who has made special
study of crows, says that they hold periodic
asszes, when the affairs of the season are
appealed. They gather together in large
are some whose fallen heads indicate accu-
sations, others are grave like judges, while
still others are motion and clamor. When
the assembly is ended there is a general
noise and little after lawyers, listeners
and bailiffs pounce upon the two or three
prisoners arraigned before the bar and ply
them with strokes until death ensues.
To wrong one, to render unto each his
own, to receive according to ones deserts
is only the negative of the moral code
Above the duties of justice those of
charity. the formula of which is this: DO
unto others as you would that they do unto
YOU" Whether animals attain to this stage
may be partially judged by a scene the
theater of which was large Partisan mem
agerie. A little black-and-white dog was
thrown into the cage of a lioness named
Constantine. Terrified and trembling in all
his limbs, the dog tried to hide in a corner
The lfeness slowly rose and approached the
poor beast, which uttered plaintiff cry, re-
garding her with an appealing look. The
noness TRANQUILITY returned to her repose
without injuring the little dog At meal
time the lioness' ration of meat was tossed
into the cage. She left part for her little
companion. Some days later the dog ate
his meals with her, and a week later he
flung himself on the dinner When autumn
arrived the dog thought it seemly to pass
the nights between the lions paws, the elf
max In beautiful example of clemency
and hospitality. The hero animal can even
vanquish his instructive pride, pardon his
injuries and voluntarily offer reconciliation.