390 Manly and Athletic Exercises. 



only to protect his property, but his very life. If man had retained 

 his original innocence, neither the prize-ring nor many other 

 customs equally culpable, would require supporters or opponents. 

 But as long as the nature of man remains as man himself has 

 perverted it 3 as long as I see the unmistakable curse of Cain 

 branded on so many countenances j as long as I meet with ruffians 

 among the lower classes of every land in which I travel j as long as 

 I see that the quarrels and disputes which daily arise between men 

 of refinement and education are conducted with quite as much spite 

 and malice, and are marked with every feature, except, perhaps, the 

 bloodshed, which characterizes a street fight between two of the 

 most ruffianly blackguards in London — so long will I uphold the 

 fair practice of British boxing, as teaching the lower classes especially 

 the most natural and least brutal way of settling those disputes 

 which can neither be arranged amicably or by appeal to the courts 

 of law, and these are far more numerous than many of us suppose. 

 Change our nature altogether, and then will I respect my opponent's 

 doctrine 3 but this, I fear, is not going to be done all at once, seeing 

 that it has remained much about the same for some thousands of 

 years, and vices of all descriptions flourish as luxuriantly in the 

 nineteenth century as of yore. I do not, however, for one moment 

 wish to contend that it does absolutely follow that the prize-ring 

 must flourish in order to keep up the true pluck and bottom of the 

 British nation j but this I will say, that the rules of fair play as 

 exemplified in a boxing match fairly conducted must and ever will 

 set a good example to the lower classes, and teach them a far more 

 humane and manly method of settling those disputes which are of 

 daily occurrence than any foreign nation can boast. 



Depend upon it, if boxing is done away wdth the savage disposi- 

 tion of the mob will remain unchanged, and some other mode of 

 settling disputes among the lower classes will be soon adopted. It 

 is all stuff to talk about amicable settlements and courts of law to 

 men who do not possess the better feelings dependent on birth 

 and education. When their worst passions are roused, let any 



