Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-09-29
AN EAsILY,DETECTED FALLACY.

AN EAsILY.DETEcTED FALLACY.
1t is true saying of Lord Bacon's that men
/" imagine their minds have command of language,
but it often happens that language bears rule over
their minds" Words" says Hobbies, " are the
counters of wise men and the money of fools"
We are sure that no intelligent reader can fail to
be reminded of the truth of these epigrammatic
sayings by the delusion which certain speakers
and journalists Of the Republican party have prac-
tised on their own minds or sought to practise on
the minds of Others when, in arguing against the
heterodox views, as they conceive, of the Woods
and the Vallandighams," they suppose they are
making an argument against the candidacy of Gen.
Mcclellan. The threatened detection Of the
/" Peace Democracy" called, from the support of
Gen. Mcclellan, carried CONSERVATION and dismay
into this class of reasoners," for it actually de-
prived them of all their political stock in trade.
IF such cheap proverbs as " men are known by the
company they keep" birds of feather flock to-
gether," should cease to serve in the place Of ar
guments addressed to the intelligence Of the pub
lie mind the graat questions at issue in the i'm
pending election, what was to be done? And still
worse, if it should appear that these proverbs, like
some Chinese guns, are more dangerous to those
who imprudently use them, than to those against
whom they are aimed, was it not evident that the
canvass must be suffered to 60 by default on the
score of high argument? 1t has been at once
amusing and instructive to observe the embarrass
ment under which such "logicians are laid by
the /" bolt" Of the "peace faction" Considered
as detection from the supporters Of Gen. Nc
Clellan it was matter of congratulation. But as
there was no possible objection to the Generals
candidacy, except that based on the views of some
men who supported him, it was plain that the
"bot" laid an embargo on their resources Of po-
litical ratiocination. They could not at the same
time eat their pudding and have it-rejoioe in the
withdrawal of the Woods and Vallandighams "
from the support of Gen. Mcclellan, and at the
ported by the Woods and Vallandighams."
We have too much respect for the intelligence
of the readers whom it is our honor to address to
suppose that any among them are in danger of be-
ing misled by this ignoble resort of fallacious
political rhetoric. The most elementary principles
of common sense, to say nothing of the most ru-
dimental instruction in the rifles of logic, are,
among sensible PERSONS sufficient guard against
such appeals to the popular ignorance and preju-
dice The most primary treatise on logic emu
merates among the fsllacies which are easiest to
be detected and exposed by the honest and candid
mind this very "aberrancy," which springs from
weak confusion of ideas where it is not the artce
of conscious sophist who seeks to pour confusion
into the minds of others.
AS many Of our contemporaries, from the use
they make of this style Of augmentation, seem to
have forgotten the admonitions which they once
learned from their horn-books on logic, or to sup
pose that every body else in such state of iguo.
on the subject to open wide field for the use
OF words after the of the class among whom,
in the idea Of Hobbies, swords are money" we
take the liberty of recalling to their memory the
fact that in the category of sophisms none is more
easily dscernible than that which undertakes to
infer the merits or dement's Of a cause from the
character Of few who sustain it. We quote from
McGregor's System Of Logic, p. 800:
Deciding By character where a conclusion 10
assumed TO be true because shown that advocated
by good men, alleged to be good doctrine or it is
assumed to be false because it appears that it s main
tanned by bad men, or it IL alleged to be bad doctrine
Good men have often advocated errors while bad men
have held many opinions which correct and truth
has equenty been decred perncious, while
been upheld foterng virtue Hence the truth fa.y
OF proposition very different inquiry from that the
character OF ts advocates its alleged nature aud we
wander from the point when turn to discuss them,
while the matter before the proessed proof that the
proposition 10 true false
In many the alleged character of the parties and
nature of the proposition widely different from the
real that the argument besides being irrelevant
otherwise aacous Yet owing to the influence Of
strong pjudces its true character not even suspected
It pleasing to ndoence TO think that determine
the truth or falsty of proposition by merely esucDg
the character OF its advocates, which 10 assumed TO be
what alleged by their friends enemies and it 10 sooth
ing TO the feelings to conclude that doctrine true when
atters avarce pride, vanity and false when wounds
these emotions"
BATTLE FLAGS