412 THE HORSE. 



person who has ever witnessed a general training in the stea- 

 diest and most straitlaced of the Kew England States, or a 

 camp-meeting, any where, to say that he has not been directly 

 cognizant of more gross immorality at either of these, than he 

 ever beheld on a regularly established race-course. 



Two charges, esi^ecially, of gambling and of cruelty, have 

 been hronght against racing and race-courses, both charges 

 irrationally and unjustly ; although most of the State Legislatures 

 of America — whicli seem to have an especial mission for legislat- 

 ing about every thing wliich ought to be let alone, and for 

 letting alone every thing which ought to be the subject of legis- 

 lation — have assumed the right of passing judgment, on both 

 these charges ; and prohibiting, or to the utmost discouraging 

 a noble sport, directly tending to the improvement of the first 

 and most valuable domestic animal, and the development of 

 the wealth, the resources and the power of the nation, and the 

 manhood of its urban and rural population. 



The first charge is false, as belonging particularly to racing, 

 or being especially stimulated by it. 



Men, it is well known, wlio wish to gamble, loiU gamble, on 

 any thing or nothing. Tliey may certainly bet on horses run- 

 ning on the track, and do so — but they bet also on every ath- 

 letic game ; on many scientific games, in which chance has no 

 perceptible influence ; on tlieir own powers ; on elections ; on 

 casual events ; on drawing long straws ; on the running of wa- 

 ter drops down a window pane. 



I have never heard it proposed to put an end to elections, 

 because men sometimes bet on them, although betting, in such 

 cases, is not merely gambling, but barefaced bribery of the 

 worst kind, and as such intended — yet it would scarcely be more 

 absurd to prohibit elections, than to prohibit contests of *'w?imw^ 

 horses — while contests of trotting horses, involving worse and 

 more fraudulent gambling, fourfold cruelty, and infinitely more 

 disorderly assemblages, are freely permitted — for the alleged 

 reasons. 



As to the allegation of cruelty, it is palpably childish, ab- 

 surd, and — it is not too much to say— false in the knowledge of 

 those who make the charge. I have been an habitual attend- 

 ant at all the principal race-courses of my native land, and of 



