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8o when wc thiuk of the direful moral consequences it inflicts on the human 

 race. I could occupy the whole day with illustrations, but will content myself 

 by referring to one only. About a year ago I received a letter whose composi- 

 tion and orthography bespoke the writer to be a person of good education and 

 respectability, although poor. It was from a man who said he occupied along 

 with his wife the fourth floor of a tenement house, and their only companion 

 and associate was a cat, which had been allied to them by the ties of friendship 

 for many years. They being childless, they loved this speechless creature with 

 real affection, which it returned with almost human fondness. Upon the same 

 floor, and in the rear ; the letter went on to say, there resided a cruel and vin- 

 dictive man, who had just thrown this unoffending animal out of the window 

 into the yard below, whereby its back was broken, and it had died in conse- 

 quence. "Now," said the affected writer, "Now, Mr. Bergh, I address you this 

 letter, not so much in anger as in sorrow, to ask you to employ the legal au- 

 thority you possess to make this man realize the crime which he is guilty of, 

 and for this rtason: He has a sick wife whom he is in the almost daily, habit 

 of abusing and beating ; and I believe if he was made to feel the wrong he has 

 done to his brute victim, his suffering wife would reap the benefit." 



Yes, the practice of cruelty toward inferior creatures, no matter how in- 

 significant they are, is sure to react upon the human family. Upon the plat- 

 form where I have the honor to stand, Mr. President, there are at this moment 

 to be found among the members of your honorable association, two gentlemea 

 equally distinguished in their respective calling. One is the intelligent citizen 

 soldier, who has so ably addressed you this day, — General Sargeant ; the other 

 the learned and reverend clergyman, who represents so faithfully his Heavenly 

 Master among you. I am sure that he and you will pardon me for giving ut- 

 terance to an unpleasant fact, which has occasioned me no little pain as well as 

 astonishment ; to wit, that the clergy, as a rule, have not given to this humane 

 cause, which I serve, the consideration and support which we have a right t(j 

 expect of them. I will not assume that this apathy arises from a belief that 

 this vast portion of God's creation is soulless, and hence beyond the sphere of 

 their recognition. I only state my experience, and leave you to provide an ex- 

 planation if you can ; while I relate to you an appropriate anecdote. The oth- 

 er day, being in a store in New York, a gentleman was presented to me who 

 is doubtless known to you, by the peculiar humor which characterizes his wri- 

 tings,— I mean "Josh Billings. " "Bergh," said he, after the formalities of pre- 

 sentation were over, "I have long desired to meet you and take you by the hand. 

 I am in full sympathy with you," he continued, "and as an illustration of that 

 fact 1 will relate to you an incident : I met a clergyman, the other day, and 

 our conversation turned on the work you are doing. To my amazement he 

 poo poohed the thing, and said there was too much fuss made about these sense- 

 less animals; that thty were made to labor and to suffer; and that was all there 

 was in it." "Look here. Parson, said I, it is my opinion that however religious 

 you may think yourself, even though you were as pious as that entire Godly 

 city of New York, together, nevertheless it is my belief that you can't get mto 

 Heaven on a sore back horse ! You may make, a dash, and try to get through 



