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Christian Reformer

1839-Jan | Christian Reformer, review of "The Rights of Animals, and Man's Obligation to Treat Them with Humanity [1838], by William H. Drummond" Christian Reformer; or, Unitarian Magazine and Review 6 (1839-Jan) 51-2; Digitized by Google; Online at Google Books.

Rights of Animals and Man's Obligation to Treat Them with Humanity

William Hamilton Drummond

review-Christian Reformer

ART. IX.—The Rights of Animals, and Man's Obligation to Treat them with Humanity. By William H. Drummond, D.D., M.R.I.A., and Honorary Member of the Belfast Natural History Society. 12mo. Pp.222. London, Mardon; Smallfield; and Green: Dublin, Hodges and Smith. 1838.

This work comes out opportunely as a Christmas present. A more entertaining or morally instructive volume cannot be put into the hands of young persons; and we fear there are many adults who have yet to learn some of its lessons of compassion and mercy.

Farmers destroy rooks from ignorance of their services; they are, in fact, useful day-labourers in the corn-fields.

Dr. Drummond relates the existence in 1832 of a "Sparrow-Club," at Hurstperpoint, near Brighton, "having for its object the wholesale slaughter of these cheerful, interesting birds" (p. 25); and he applies very strong epithets to the members. These persons, no doubt, considered the sparrow to be the corn-grower's enemy, and this, if it be an error, should be pointed out: that it is an ancient and common notion, is proved by the usage of churchwardens in buying up the eggs and young of this bird and charging the cost in the parish accounts, which we never heard of being disputed on this ground.

In the cause of "humanity," the author dares to accuse honest old Izaac Walton of cruelty. All but anglers by profession will, we presume, admit the charge.

"His book is a compound of contradictions, of wisdom and folly, of compassion and cruelty. In one page he quotes, 'Blessed are the merciful,' and in the next he teaches to impale flies and grass-hoppers."—P. 114.

We agree with Dr. Drummond that the "Complete Angler" has "received its full meed of celebrity;" and believe that it has found more purchasers than readers.

Under the head, "Causes of Cruelty to Animals," there is a section on "Antipathies," which every young person should read. We extract a passage, which would be scarcely credible, id it did not relate to the land of antipathies.

"A tradition is prevalent in some parts both of the north and south of Ireland, that on one occasion James the Second's forces were on the point of surprising King William's army early in the morning, when some wrens, attracted probably by the fragments of the preceding night's meal, alighted on the head of a drum which had served for a table, and the noise of their bills in the act of picking awoke the drummer, who instantly beat to arms, and saved William's army from defeat. The wren accordingly has been, ever since, a prime favourite with the Orange party, and an object of persecution to the friends of James, who on an appointed day have organized hands of ruffians, young and old, who go forth armed 'with staves' to beat the hedges, and with stones to pelt this innocent and elegant little bird. St. Stephen's is the day preferred for this manly achievement, as if those engaged in it were ambitious of personating in a small way the murderers of the first Christian martyr. Had the little birds that actually awoke the drummer been taken in the fact and executed, their punishment would have been sufficiently truculent; but to visit the offence, supposing it to be such, on all their race, is an enormity unmatched even by that of the amiable youth who, in the insurrection of 1798, hanged a drake because the hand of the Creator had adorned its beautiful neck and head with the national colour, the eye-refreshing green of the 'emerald isle."—Pp. 142, 143.