Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1862-03-08
PoIIsIcaI Quackery. I.

There are quacks In politics, as well US " "
medicine. OF the latterA Writer 10 the feoru'
AIRY number of Blaekrood Magazine has given
an amusing, but truthful description As Tor
Instance;
The physloiap Is supposed to be guided by
theory: sne quack q supposed to be guided by
expefiencc Yet the quack 10 not only guided
,,by some theory, but is more the slave Of theory
than the physician, His stock in trade is pan
acea He has pill, a lotion, or q manipula-
ton, which cures most, Il not all diseases lie
pfoclaims with emphasis some absurd proposi-
ton, some theory, which Is meant to justify his
practice. Thus, for example, he aifirms that
"All diseases are owing to impurity Of the
blood and his ponacea puri6es the blood; OF
7 that "all diseasts arc due to deficiency Of The
nervo-eleclric force" and his lteatment viii
''restore" that force. iaa aaJs 2
The parAIlslis is complete between the medi
cal apd political charlainn The latter Iik,
the former Processes to rely on experience, or
which Is the same thing, on the evils in society
asproof positive that there is something radi
cally wrong in the original constitution ant
framesOrk Of the government; yet he ia him
self in bondage to theory of government
which be would substitute for the one nov ex
letting. and Is 10 bis own esteem wiser than al
the statesmen and patriots that have precede,
him. rt fn. art
When the body polite is deraDgec, up come
the political quAck with bis zone idea," hi
great reform, his siugle measure, that win re
lisve the country from ali danger, and festorl
liberty, peace aud harmony now and evermOre
His policy, if adopted, will operate with ih'
same sudden aud charming effect on the nation
as his brother quaek's medicine dLes on the in
dividusl. 1t will at once put down rebellion
quiet insurrection, and make all sale and sounC
again, nay, better than ever before.
The political empiric prOclaims and insists
With a perIinacisy quite invineible BY any
umount Of rational argument, that all disorder
and every attempt at revolution in the country
are owing to single cause, and that there can
be DO peace, no union, no harmony, as he is
determined there shall not be, II he can help
il, until that cause ia removed. He finds that
cause in slavery, and his remedy Is to extirpate
slavery at once and forever; or our national
troubles are all owing to the sel6shness and
ambition of the sloveholders, and then the
panacea Is to deprive the owners Of slaves of
all share in the responsibilities and emoluments
Of public Office under the Federal Government
AS pretenders in medicine abound when "a,
tai epidemic or pestilence is ravsging the coun-
try; so now, 10 this dark hOur Of our nations
calamity, political empirics arise without num-
ber like the locusts over the doomed land Of
Egypt. Both classes are known by infaIlible
signs They have crotchet in their heads,
and for the sake of practically applying it, they
are ready to sacrifice the life OF the individual
or the existence of the nation. Their igno
rance is only equalled by their impudence iiand
confident eelEasserlion. Honest, hut mistaken,
some Of these prelendtrs doubtless are; dishon-
est and hypOcritical many Of them, especially
the most pretentious, certainly are, Avoid as
sou would the pestilence a man who has a
"sovereign remedy" for "all the ills that
flesh ia heir to;" shun as you would traitor,
the man who, 10 time Of rebellion and civil
war, comes forward with hobby for revolution
izing the Government and establishing a new
order of things -