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Article ON THE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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On The Treatment Of Animals.
encouragement during their journey through the wilderness , and to excite them to the destruction of such as were noxious . In my own opinion , we have no reason to doubt the truth of the sacred text ; on the contrary , had we not that information , it would be natural to conclude such power had been given ; for , otherwise , what cause can we assign for the superiority which is undeniably possessed ? The combined efforts of a single species had been
sufficient , long ere now , to have extirpated the race ; but , instead of this , those who are not obedient to his commands , constantly shun his abode and person ¦; at least they never molest either , unless necessitated by hunger , or anger urges them to resent the bold intrusion on their haunts . . Others submit with patience , not only to his yoke , but bear his stripes ( too often directed b y wanton cruelty ) , and ill
usage of every description . I must beg leave to explain myself , that nothing but the most unwarrantable arrogance can lead any man to suppose his sovereignty extends so far as to subject them to his arbitrary will—controuled by no law , curbed by no restrictions . He from ' whose Almig hty fiat all tilings derive their existence , has an indisputable title to use them as he pleases . Yet he guides his power by his justice , nor is any part of bis government inconsistent with his goodness . Man , conscious that he enjoys a little brief authority , meanly stoops to tyrannise .
But this is nothing rare ; we see the same thing daily in the affairs of the world . The great and enlightened mind disdains an improper iise of the power which may chance to be vested in his hands , and uses it only to scatter happiness among his fellow creatures ; while haughty ignorance imagines oppression his prerogative , and severity one of the most becoming fasces of his sway . Persons of this disposition commonly play the same contemptible part in scene of
every life ' s capacious theatre , careful lest a frown or harsh word might be displeasing to a superior ; but no sooner in the company of those they deem beneath them , than "they betray their despicable principles ; and should any one happen to offend , that kind of bravery is displayed which at another time is so advantageously exhibited over an expiring butterfly ; and the object who has unfortunately alarmed
their honour is ( as it were ) trampled on with all the insolence a depraved mind can invent , and loaded with every expression prostituted language is capable of affording . In a word , to practice cruelty towards those who have no power to resist , -is ( as Tully has said of vice in general ) so mean and unworthy of us , that , we should scorn to do it , even though it were not prohibited . But the seeds of barbarity and despotism are apt to take deep root wherever they are sewn , and children are too often initiated to actions pf this nature , by those whose care it should be
"to fix " The gen ' rous purpose in the glowing breast . " If the child cries , nothing appears more natural than to pacify it at the expence of a frightened bird , or half-starved kitten . Happy is it
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Treatment Of Animals.
encouragement during their journey through the wilderness , and to excite them to the destruction of such as were noxious . In my own opinion , we have no reason to doubt the truth of the sacred text ; on the contrary , had we not that information , it would be natural to conclude such power had been given ; for , otherwise , what cause can we assign for the superiority which is undeniably possessed ? The combined efforts of a single species had been
sufficient , long ere now , to have extirpated the race ; but , instead of this , those who are not obedient to his commands , constantly shun his abode and person ¦; at least they never molest either , unless necessitated by hunger , or anger urges them to resent the bold intrusion on their haunts . . Others submit with patience , not only to his yoke , but bear his stripes ( too often directed b y wanton cruelty ) , and ill
usage of every description . I must beg leave to explain myself , that nothing but the most unwarrantable arrogance can lead any man to suppose his sovereignty extends so far as to subject them to his arbitrary will—controuled by no law , curbed by no restrictions . He from ' whose Almig hty fiat all tilings derive their existence , has an indisputable title to use them as he pleases . Yet he guides his power by his justice , nor is any part of bis government inconsistent with his goodness . Man , conscious that he enjoys a little brief authority , meanly stoops to tyrannise .
But this is nothing rare ; we see the same thing daily in the affairs of the world . The great and enlightened mind disdains an improper iise of the power which may chance to be vested in his hands , and uses it only to scatter happiness among his fellow creatures ; while haughty ignorance imagines oppression his prerogative , and severity one of the most becoming fasces of his sway . Persons of this disposition commonly play the same contemptible part in scene of
every life ' s capacious theatre , careful lest a frown or harsh word might be displeasing to a superior ; but no sooner in the company of those they deem beneath them , than "they betray their despicable principles ; and should any one happen to offend , that kind of bravery is displayed which at another time is so advantageously exhibited over an expiring butterfly ; and the object who has unfortunately alarmed
their honour is ( as it were ) trampled on with all the insolence a depraved mind can invent , and loaded with every expression prostituted language is capable of affording . In a word , to practice cruelty towards those who have no power to resist , -is ( as Tully has said of vice in general ) so mean and unworthy of us , that , we should scorn to do it , even though it were not prohibited . But the seeds of barbarity and despotism are apt to take deep root wherever they are sewn , and children are too often initiated to actions pf this nature , by those whose care it should be
"to fix " The gen ' rous purpose in the glowing breast . " If the child cries , nothing appears more natural than to pacify it at the expence of a frightened bird , or half-starved kitten . Happy is it