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126 ESOTERIC ANTHROPOLOGY.
ties of mind or soul. The elephant is, in his moral and
intellectual character, superior even to the dog; and he
owes less to the companionship of man. In clearness
of apprehension, calm judgment, tenacity of memory,
benevolence, and many valuable qualities of mind and
heart, he compares favorably with the average human
development.
What can we infer respecting the soul, or spiritual
principle that presides over the material organism of
the dog or elephant ? If we admit, ashas. been so me-
times urged, that soul is indestructible, and therefore
immortal, we must give these animals immortality. If
an existing individuality can never be destroyed, what
becomes of these striking individualities ? I have no
desire to press this point, nor any inferences that may
arise from it. It is important that we understand our
true relations to the animals, who are, many of them,
more nearly related to us than we imagine. It is a
grave question, how far we have a right to enslave,
mutilate, torture, murder, and devour them. I know
of no argument in favor of eating a hog, sheep, or cow,
that would not apply with great force to any mild spe
cies of cannibalism. There are harmonious relations to
be discovered between men and animals, and they may
be mutually useful to each other in more ways than we
now imagine.