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Article ON THE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS. ← Page 3 of 3
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On The Treatment Of Animals.
if it stops nere ; but , if extremely desirous of possessing the feathered prisoner , devote it to the capricious will of a peevish infant , and delig ht to see how , insensible to the pangs of pity , the smiling assassin gripes his victim , and when tired of the diversion , gives it up to continue the . game with pretty pussey , by whose equally unrelenting , but not guilty paw , death kindly finishes its misery , but at the same time unfortunately puts an end to the refined amusement . Admirable
education ! The boy thus tutored may one day rival a Caligula . On the other hand there are those who run into an opposite extreme . Naturally possessed of delicate feelings ( or I fear sometimes affecting to be so ) , they extend their pity almost as universally as an ancient father of the Romish church , who , from merciful and inoffensive motiveswould not destroy the vermin which infested his body and
, cloathing ; and they stigmatize as cruel that which man is under the necessity of doing for his subsistence , comfort , or defence . I would , however , be extremely cautious with regard to checking such ideas , though weak and foolish , for , it must be confessed , they result from genuine goodness of heart ; and , if it is a fault , it "leans to virtue ' s side . " Weak as such a mind may be , it does more honour to the
possessor , than all that greatness and fortitude which can steel the heart against the emotions of sympathy , and enable it to triumph over the conquered sparrow , or exult at the torture of a beetle . Their rig hts are inviolable , save where they clash with ours . Man is authorised and obligated to take the lives of such as his wants require ; but this should be unattended with any additional agony . A feeling mind must shudder at the painful taskand lament the sad
, necessity . —From others he receives assistance in his laborious occupations , and the frequent lash of unmerited severity is commonly the reward of their industry . Even those whose fidelity and attachment to his person claim his favour and kindness , in many instances experience his ingratitude . Such is the manner in which we too generally proclaim our powerand thus are the lives of these
unoffend-, ing creatures renderedmiserable , and ( which should have a considerable share in calling forth our pity ) without hope of alteration . Man , under all his misfortunes , is supported by the prospect of a futurity , where sorrows shall not be , and where every tear shall be wiped away ; while the pains of these cease only with being , and have no other period than annihilation .
A very different line of conduct would certainly set forth human nature in more pleasing colours . We have every reason to be grateful to our universal Creator for the invaluable charter , and certainly ought to consider it as a duty incumbent on us to acknowledge our sense of the obligation ; but this should not be done merely with our tongues ; the most expressive language we are capable of using , and the incense most acceptable to heavenis a proper application of the
, delegated authority . We cannot be ignorant that the general tenor of the divine law informs us , that God takes our good or ill behaviour to his creation as to himself ; that he will not forget our kind offices towards any part of it ; and will regard every trespass as no trifling insult to . his dignity , no small infringement ou his commandments . E . A . K ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Treatment Of Animals.
if it stops nere ; but , if extremely desirous of possessing the feathered prisoner , devote it to the capricious will of a peevish infant , and delig ht to see how , insensible to the pangs of pity , the smiling assassin gripes his victim , and when tired of the diversion , gives it up to continue the . game with pretty pussey , by whose equally unrelenting , but not guilty paw , death kindly finishes its misery , but at the same time unfortunately puts an end to the refined amusement . Admirable
education ! The boy thus tutored may one day rival a Caligula . On the other hand there are those who run into an opposite extreme . Naturally possessed of delicate feelings ( or I fear sometimes affecting to be so ) , they extend their pity almost as universally as an ancient father of the Romish church , who , from merciful and inoffensive motiveswould not destroy the vermin which infested his body and
, cloathing ; and they stigmatize as cruel that which man is under the necessity of doing for his subsistence , comfort , or defence . I would , however , be extremely cautious with regard to checking such ideas , though weak and foolish , for , it must be confessed , they result from genuine goodness of heart ; and , if it is a fault , it "leans to virtue ' s side . " Weak as such a mind may be , it does more honour to the
possessor , than all that greatness and fortitude which can steel the heart against the emotions of sympathy , and enable it to triumph over the conquered sparrow , or exult at the torture of a beetle . Their rig hts are inviolable , save where they clash with ours . Man is authorised and obligated to take the lives of such as his wants require ; but this should be unattended with any additional agony . A feeling mind must shudder at the painful taskand lament the sad
, necessity . —From others he receives assistance in his laborious occupations , and the frequent lash of unmerited severity is commonly the reward of their industry . Even those whose fidelity and attachment to his person claim his favour and kindness , in many instances experience his ingratitude . Such is the manner in which we too generally proclaim our powerand thus are the lives of these
unoffend-, ing creatures renderedmiserable , and ( which should have a considerable share in calling forth our pity ) without hope of alteration . Man , under all his misfortunes , is supported by the prospect of a futurity , where sorrows shall not be , and where every tear shall be wiped away ; while the pains of these cease only with being , and have no other period than annihilation .
A very different line of conduct would certainly set forth human nature in more pleasing colours . We have every reason to be grateful to our universal Creator for the invaluable charter , and certainly ought to consider it as a duty incumbent on us to acknowledge our sense of the obligation ; but this should not be done merely with our tongues ; the most expressive language we are capable of using , and the incense most acceptable to heavenis a proper application of the
, delegated authority . We cannot be ignorant that the general tenor of the divine law informs us , that God takes our good or ill behaviour to his creation as to himself ; that he will not forget our kind offices towards any part of it ; and will regard every trespass as no trifling insult to . his dignity , no small infringement ou his commandments . E . A . K ,