New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-28
EMPTR1CISM.

mating scepticism, an habitual unwilling
ness to accept anything as fact unless it
can be thoroughly explained and the req
sons thereof distinctly set forth. This is a
peculiarly Of smatterers in science. They
are never satisfied with the most positive
assurances, from the most reliable Of
sources, that thing is so; that it has been
observed to be SO in countless cases that
it may be positively relied upon in ninety
nine cases Of hundred. If no satistac-
tory reason, that Is, none satisfactory to
the slmatterer. can be furnished, the testi-
mony of experience is rejected as worthless,
"a mere fancy AN ignorant notion,
unworthy the notice Of a scientific mind.
And yet empiricisn, the practice OF
methods furnished by experience. III ad-
vance Of philosophical reason, has always
been the forerylnner Of science. 1t has
collected the facts and science has then
sought the reasons for them. The Chaldean
shepherd, gazing into the heavens as he
watched his flock by night, knew so little
of astronomy that he believed the earth to
be a fiat, irregularly shaped portion of
land and water. with the sun, moon and
stars arising every morning from some un-
known abyss at one side of it, and sinking
into the same abyss on the other side
every evening: and Yet he could call the
chief stars and planets by name, and tell
the inquirer at what spot in the azure vault
any one of them would appear at given
time.
The unlettered Indian will prescribe
remedies plucked from the wayside, which
shall cure diseases battling to the skill of
the scientific physician; and old nurses
will read with accuracy the symptoms of
a disease, and prophesy its termination
when the same physician would be utterly
at fault. If such successful empiricists
be asked how they know what they state,
the only reply received will probably be,
1T is always So" They do not know
why, but they do know that these plants
usually produce certain effects, and that
when such or such symptoms appear,
death or recovery Gas the case may be- is
sure to follow.
The peasant Of Europe, and the more
enlightened husbandman of this country.
in the practice Of their business, are
often governed by rules for which
they can give only the same empiric
reason, 1T is always So After a time the
scientific physician and the scientific
farmer, accepting the testimony of the
ignorant as the facts, examines into the
subject, ascertains the cause, sets forth
both facts and cause to the world with all
the advantages OF learned style and
scientific phraseology, and, 10 what was
IAN ignorant notion becomes a scientific
truth. The celebrated DR.. Jenner OBJ
tanned the germ Of his discovery of yaccin-
alton from the remark Of a milkmaid who.
according to the prevalent belief among
the peasantry OF Gloucestershire. said that
,he could not take the smallpox because
she had had the cow-poX. A shallow or
,onceited person would have probably
,neered at the girl S remark as an instance
If the superstitious notions OF the peas
.ntry. A truly scientific mind seized upon
t as suggestive. and Immediately entered
lpon an examination whose result 1evolu- |
iOniZed the medical world
Thus the experience of the ignorant |
orms the basis upon which the learned |
md wise build the temple of science: and |
While silly and selt-satistied skepticism !
urns away from the motions OF the |
-ul9ar, wisdom listens to the sayings 81 the |
,eople.
In this connection may be noticed a
lass of facts as indisputable as they are
which have, within the last |
uarter OF "a century. been forcing them
elves upon public attention. We allude
0 the so-called spiritual manifestations.
ome dispute their existence altogether,
'ithout ever having witnessed, or sought
tken place. Some admit the fact of their
but attribute them entirely to Jug
lery. The Spilitualists themselves attrib-
te them, as is Well known, to the agency OF
isembodied spirits. while a fourth class,
nable to withstand the weight Of evidence
/ favor of their existence and recognizing
ven in cases of manifest imposture, the
ruth Of the adage, The counterfeit
roves the existence Of the genuine"
limit that the alleged phenomena
0 sometimes take place without
le aid of legerdemain. but deny that
ny proof exists as to their cause This
;, perhaps, as much as may be nationally
limited in the existing state of Informal
on on the subject; science, not having as
It recognized these facts as of sufficient
nportance TO demand its notice, while
lie evidence Of their existence is too
)undant 70 admit OF question. Thus
ey stand to the nnprejudiced facts with
unknown cause, but not to be secuted
incredible on that account In the
urse Of time, when men Of science shall !
IN their attention to the investigation Of
e subject, the nature and causes of
csc so-called spiritual manifestations
il doubtless be ascertained. In the $
having no apparent bearing on t
e course Of human affairs. they may be t
rbally admitted Yet practically ignored, i