relish strong food; one speaking proof that such stimulating diet is not
natural to the human palate, is the indifference children have for such
food, and they evidently prefer pastry, fruit, &c., until the digestive
organs become more depraved. Neither has man the peculiarities of a
carnivorous animal; he has no hawk-bill, no sharp talons to tear his
prey, and he wants that strength of stomach and power of digestion which
is requisite to assimilate such heavy fare; his tongue is not rough,
but, as compared with that of ravenous animals, of a very smooth
texture; neither are his teeth pointed and rough like a saw, which above
all is a distinguishing mark. It is well known that in our West Indian
colonies, all the negroes still surviving, who were originally brought
over from Africa, have their teeth filed down to this day, which was at
first expressly done for the purpose of tearing and eating human flesh.
It is probable that the first man who adopted this most horrible custom,
was driven to it by necessity and the want or scarcity of other food,
and we know certainly that cannibals are as much excited by the spirit
of revenge as by an appetite for flesh, in devouring their captured
enemies; we, however, have not even this poor plea; we are even
ungrateful in attending to the satisfaction of our desires, for we kill
without remorse, as well the ox that labours for us, as the sheep that
clothes us, and disregarding all the natural wealth of the fields, and
the delicacies of the garden, we capriciously destroy creatures who are
no doubt sent into the world to enjoy life as well as ourselves. But you
who contend that you are born with an inclination to such food, why
object to kill what you would eat? do it, however, with your own hands,
and without the aid of a knife; tear your victim to pieces with your
fingers, as lions do with their claws, and after worrying a hare or a
lamb, fall on and eat alive as they do; drink up the flowing blood, and
devour the flesh while it is yet warm! Is not the very idea horrible? we
know we could not do it; as it is, the sight of uncooked flesh with all