468 
THE VOICE OF HUMANITY. 
of a miserable existence under the hands of a more needy, and, 
therefore, perhaps less inexcusable, taskmaster. 4 Look on this 
picture, and on that/ and then say which is the happiest man. 
“ No feeling, perhaps, is less liable to be expended to a faulty 
excess than that of humanity to the brute creation ; the power of 
man being always despotic over them, he will ever need remind¬ 
ing of his responsibility for its abuse. When the benevolent sys¬ 
tem of the great philanthropist, Howard, became general, it 
was observed, and with some justice, that prisons were made too 
comfortable , and were but ill-adapted as places of punishment. 
The analogy, however, cannot hold here : animals are not crimi¬ 
nals—and if man, by his ill-treatment of them, first renders them 
unfit to perform their parts well, and then recklessly discharges 
on their heads the consequences of their failure, is he adopting 
such a line of conduct as will afford satisfaction and peace of 
heart ? Is he not rather playing 
‘ Such fantastic tricks before high heaven, 
As make the angels weep?’ 
“ I would respectfully suggest, to all who may honour this 
with a perusal, that as their feelings of mercy should ever be 
keen and lively, so the conduct prompted by them should be 
practical and active. He who witnesses any act of atrocious and 
wanton cruelty, and merely deplores the inhumanity of the 
world, does—in point of fact and utility— nothing. If he remon¬ 
strates with, or threatens, the perpetrator of the cruelty, and, 
where it is within the reach of the law, punishes him, then, as 
far as that punishment goes, he does something. If, after he has 
done this, he returns to his room, and devises measures whereby 
the recurrence of such acts may be rendered less possible, 
measures by which the whole system , in reference to the treat¬ 
ment of animals, may be improved , he does still more; and if, 
in order to render his plans more effective, he unites himself 
with a number of kindred souls, for the accomplishment of his 
wishes, strengthening their hands and confirming their resolu¬ 
tions, he may then be said to have ‘ done what he could/ ” 
Every Man his own Cattle Doctor , or a Practical Treatise on 
the Diseases of Oxen and Sheep; to which is added, the Me¬ 
dical Treatment of Swine, Poultry, and Rabbits. By Francis 
Cl a ter. A new edition, revised and almost recomposed, by 
an Eminent Practitioner. Baldwin and Co. 
This is indeed the age of reformation—it has begun in the 
Commons’ House, and it will pervade every department of the 
