The Sun. — 1825-07-22 (London, England)

LONIAN-JoUttNALS  DA}IL. Exiract g front the 11.1 only: Papers,Jztly c 2.2, I 525.  ri  • [Trlc-'ffims:] • • Not Withstanding. the .PrepatatiOns said to be. making for that frightful exhibition called a. '41...i0n Fight," we hi've yet holes that'a return of 'right feelingin the owners of the noble ani.•mals now destined for;destruction, or, if not, that a iense.' of duty in the MagiSttates of the neighbouring.district, may Spare us the painful task of recording that such an outrage to every impulse of compassion and humanity has occurred among a civilized people. Prize:fighting is bad enough: itis an. odious and brutual applicution'of corpo-. real powers, given to man for self-defence, and of masculine boldness, which is perverted and degraded when otherwise employed than in the vindication of our country's quarrel, or at least in-the protection of the peaceful and unoffending • against unlawful violence. But the prize-fighting ratan is a voluntary agent ; .he courts his own clinger, he makes love to suffering, and has , not merely the stimulus of lucre, however base, to animate him, but he has pride and fortitude, exclusive attributes of • mankind, to bear him up under wounds, and weakness, and despair, and to render agony itself not altogether insupportable. On the other hand, how is it with these wretched beasts, in training, as the country prints tell us, for mutual torment under human 'keepers ? '!'hey exercise no free will—they have no cause for reciprocal jealousy or .animosity— they have not even appetite for each other's flesh • to-Touse them: far less have they any thirst of ..farne, or consciousness of noble though unsuccessful daring, to chear them while sinking under the tusks or fangs of an antagonist. The whole spectacle is one of cold-blooded and wanton cruelty. It is not alone a scene of inhumanity, but a School of it. The butcheries of the arena among the degenerate Romans, helped largely to swell the-Praetor's list of fierce and murderous crimes. _Let one of the mercenary savages who look to making money by this havoc about to be perpetrated on a group of fine unconscious crea4Ores,subrilit themselves to a bull-dog's bite, or to the plunge of a lion's claw, and then ask what Moral right they have to force these poor animals to the infliction of such tortures on each otlier. Mian's power over the brute creation is limited by subserviency to his legitimate wants and .comforts ; it does not extend to their punishment for -his vicious curiosity or his barbarous carites. Such Was' the foundation of Lord Erskine's argument, when he recommended in a speech, well worthy of his great name and virtues, a law for suppressing the practice of cruelty to animals. .On the same doctrine stands the excellent law of Mr. Martin, which we are confident will at length do good, by ;afEting criminality to the abuse of God's. lirir4creatures. We wish most anxiously that . such a law could . be extended so as Lo cover all cases of inhumanity to the animal race ; and we are not sure that it is not already wide enough to embrace the poor dogs ,no.w preparing fot the sacrifice at Warwick." The magistrate IlttOrferes -eirectnally on this occasion will •do himself distinguished honour, and the public arr essential benefit.  • [