The New York herald., 1873-11-03
Buehuism and Cncsarism-Despotism
and Qusckery-Whas Remains but


In Mr. Carlyle's picturesque and brilliant
history of the French Revolution the closing
figure is vision, in which the author pictures
the reign of imposture, the breaking out Of
the flames. one quack after another tumbling
into them-Cagliostro, Louis the King, his
beautiful wife, grim De Launay of the
Bastile, Robespierre-all perishing, as impos-
ture must perish, sooner or later, in world
the God of which is Truth. We have fire.
quently recalled this extravagant and emphatic
picture of the great writer in thinking Of re-
cent events in our own land. As we have
shown one after another of the representa-
tives Of this most corrupt and dishonest time
slaves of Casarism in politics, professors OF
buchuism in finance and society; as we have
portrayed the growth and triumph Of these
baleful. pernicious influences, we constantly
felt that they were all types and growths OF the
age, rank and poisonous weeds, and that,
sooner or later, the destroying fire would come.
1t is comforting we know, to find any
cause for an event but true one, when the
true one involves our own condemnation.
The journalist is rarely honored who insists
upon telling the truth. Some time ago the
HERALD, after a careful study Of the present
political and social phenomena, was impelled
to say that the issue directly before the
American people was none of the sentimental
issues which bubbled feebly from the party
newspapers suffrage, protection, farmers
granges hours of labor and so on-but an
issue graver and more threatening. We
showed the government in possession OF an
administration the moral sense of which was
deadened by power and victory. We showed
party which had been the disciplined ally
of corruption since the war. We showed
how the war had dislocated and destroyed those
venerable, sacred and fixed traditions Of the
Republic which came to us from the fathers.
And, in words which no one has ever
seriously challenged, and which cannot be de-
MED, we shadowed the existence of o political
spirit which menaced the Republic. This is
what We meant by the C@sarism discussion
which has spread over America and asserts
itself in foreign journals; and, although some
of our contemporaries have only seen mockery
in our fears, the results of this discussion have
been to confirm them. In the same spirit we
have striven to show that the causes of the
recent panic were deeper than any temporary
depression in the money market. We saw the
existence of quackery and deceit and false
pretence in every phase of business life; and,
taking hint from the career of the most con-
spicuous quack We have known, said these
Il hrs tha fNrl Of
Broadway used to sell his buchu-that it was
only Buchuism, not honest business. When
the panic came, it was the natural, inevitable
end.
Nor is there any difference between Caesar
ism and Buddhism. They flower from the
alike A despot is essentially quack. There
were no greater despots than Charles ", Philip
Ii. and Napoleon. No rulers were more
thoroughly quacks The majesty and splen-
dor of Napoleons genius could not prevent
his playing tricks as absurd as any of Cagli-
ostro. Under his imperial purple, covered
with all the glories of empire and victory, we
saw there was not a gentleman. When his life
came to situation where a gentleman would
have shown dignity, patience, silence-where
he would have remembered what was due to
his fame and his rank-he became as quarrel
some as pedler over his cups. He who had
been Emperor at Notre Dame was whining
charlatan at ST. Helena. because he had
always been a charlatan. Despotism and
quackery are of the same growth, and that is
why in our own time history only
repeats itself, and we see Cesarism in
politics and Buchuism in business and society.
Where indeed. have we not seen it In rail-
ways, in the building of new railways in leg
islation for government improvements in the
management of savings banks, trust companies
and insurance, in the handling of public
moneys and the discharge of public trusts.
We have seen it everywhere. Turn over the
leaves in which the HERALD has recorded the
history of the United States since 1861, and
what do we read? There is scarcely page
that is not stained with some story of crime
and deceit-dishonesty in public life, dishon-
esty in business, in politics, society, religion.
''Shoddy," "greenbacks, petroleum, ''car-
pet-baggers," Erie" ''Cesarism," "Buchu-
ism these are all new words, not one more
than ten years old; yet each word is history
in itself-a history of quackery, false pretence
and shame.
Is it any wonder, then, that the flames
broke forth-that the country was swept
with ruin, as under the parching midsummer
sun the fire suddenly sweeps over the prai-
riesI Is it any wonder, we repeat9 The
wonder is that the flames were so long in
coming. 1t only shows how resolute and
strong we are-how much healthy, whole
some, animating life underlies our national
system-that we could have fought the fire SO
long But we might as well seriously accept
il as one of Gods immutable DEGREES, that in