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THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



whole compass of literature. "The man," 

 says Gulliver, " who can make two years 

 of corn or two blades of grass to grow on 

 the spot where only one grew before, 

 would deserve better of mankind and 

 render a more essential service to the 

 country than the whole race of politicians 

 put together." [Laughter and applause.] 

 When this is quoted at agricultural meet- 

 ings by patriotic candidates for office, this 

 last part of the sentence is generally omit- 

 ted. [Renewed laughter.] 



The noble qualities of the horse seem, 

 indeed, to have made an impression upon 

 the most brutalized of our own species. 

 I suppose it is this, if it were worth 

 while to account for the freaks of a mad- 

 man, which led the Emperor Caligula 

 to erect a marble stable for his horse, In- 

 citatus, to provide him with an ivory 

 manger, with housings of imperial purple, 

 a breast-plate studded with diamonds and 

 pearls, and then to elevate him to the 

 dignity of the Consulship. This seems, 

 to be sure, a mere freak of madness, and 

 yet I am inclined to think that at that 

 time it was a better choice than could 

 have been made out of the venal courtiers 

 and factious praetorians of the imperial 

 court; and I believe, sir, had it been 

 put to the vote throughout the Roman 

 Empire, then co-extensive with the civi- 

 lized world, they would have decided that 

 they had a better consul in the horse 

 than in the Emperor. [Laughter and ap- 

 plause.] Sir, they had been too familiar 

 with the rapacity of the tyrants who 

 chased each other over the stage, dagger 

 in hand, not to be pleased with the eleva- 

 tion of a ruler who took nothing but oats 

 out of the public crib [laughter] — a ruler, 

 sir, who, while the reins were with him, 

 would at least have given them a " stable " 

 administration. [Renewed laughter.] 



I trust, sir, that the beautiful perform- 

 ance of Mr. Rarey, to which my friend 

 Ashmun has alluded, may be the means 

 of diffusing some useful ideas in this re- 

 spect throughout the community. Whether 

 there is yet some unexplained means of 

 influence in the possession of this gentle- 

 man not shared by the rest of the com- 

 munity, I know not : but one thing, I 

 think, sir, is certain, that one great portion 

 consists in gaining and keeping the affec- 

 tions of the animal by gentle and kind 

 treatment. For this, if for no other 



reason, he deserves the greatest credit 

 for what he has done in this respect, 

 although I believe he is not the first who 

 has succeeded by this same treatment in 

 subduing the wildness, changing even the 

 native instincts of what are commonly 

 called the almost untamable animals. 1 

 often saw in the streets of London — and I 

 believe the same thing may be seen at 

 Barn urn's Museum in New York — what 

 was called "The Happy Family " a col- 

 lection of animals, in a large wire cage, 

 most hostile in their nature — cats and 

 rats, hawks and mice, owls and wrens, 

 living together in these close quarters, in 

 the utmost amity and friendship. I asked 

 the showman what was the secret of 

 the operation by which he brought about 

 those astonishing results. He told me it 

 was persevering kindness. He did not 

 say, sir, in what particular way that kind- 

 ness was to be manifested. I believe part 

 of it consisted in always keeping them 

 supplied with plenty of the food they were 

 fond of ; but it was persevering kindness. 

 My experience led me to think that the 

 amicable relations thus established among 

 the animals did not extend to outsiders; 

 for I rather inadvertently put my finger 

 through the bars of the cage, when a 

 large rat sprang at it with such rapidity 

 that I drew it back a great deal quicker 

 than I put it in. [Laughter and applause.] 

 1 assure you that my bosom was overflow- 

 ing with kindness toward every member 

 of that " Happy Family," not excepting 

 the rat; but after that demonstration on the 

 part of the rat, I did not think it expedi- 

 ent to persevere. [Laughter.] 



However this may be, sir, if there is 

 any one who doubts that the horse — the 

 animal that most concerns us on this occa- 

 sion — is susceptible of the kindest feel- 

 ings of our nature, I think he would be 

 convinced of his error by a most interest- 

 ing anecdote of Edmund Burke. In the 

 decline of Mr. Burke's life when he was 

 living in retirement on his farm at Bacons- 

 field, the rumor w 7 ent up to London that 

 he had gone mad ; and t'he fact that was 

 stated in support of this rumor was that 

 he went round his park kissing his cows 

 and horses. A friend, a man of rank and 

 influence, hearing the story, and deeming 

 it of too much importance to be left un- 

 corrected, hastened to Baconsfield, and 

 sought an interview with the view of as- 



