The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-20
A GAsTRONOMIO CRUSADE.

| "A GASIhUNVMlU UhUbAUE.
Col. Bob Ingersol. having wasted his ener.
giles and eloquence In tho vain effort to re-
form our politics, the morals of the Republi.
can party and the Christian religion, has
now concentrated his genius and brilliant
powers on a gastronomc crusade against the
culinary vices. Here Is mission worthy Of
50 jealous and gifted a reformer and enthusi-
asst. 1t Ia difficult for us to imagine how a
Radical orator and chieftain, and an Atheist
or Deist, can ever rise to the dignity, the
honest sincerity and dauntless courage and
love Of truth and severe logic which will be
required of the missionary and reformer who
undertakes to reform, elevate and purify the
gastronomy of this country, and to extirpate
the innumerable abuses, solecsms and viola
tions Of natural laws with which the cookery
of this Republic, or large section of 1t. is
justly chargeable.
This Is grand mission, involving vast re-
suits, and the well being Of our whole society.
The physical, the moral, the political and even
the religious health of our people is deeply
involved In this mission, 1t was the boast Of
the Spartan poet, that he who wrote the songs
Of d people would have greater power to
form their characters and control their ac-
tions than the law-giver, the statesman or
the warrior. We think that even the song
writer will have to yield to the gastronomic
reformer, who will wage war against the
innumerable culinary abuses and vices
which have made this nation of dys-
pepti,s and boilers of indigestible food and
insatiate gulpers of unwholesome sweetmeats
and quack prescriptions, to conquer and pre-
vent the effects of bad cookery and an unnat-
ural and unscientifc disposition of the boun-
teous abundance Of good things which Provi-
dence has showered upon US.
We welcome with great cordially Col In
gersol's assumption of the armor OF the cru
SADIE against our bad cookery; we cheerfuly
concede to him the high rank of Peter the
Hermit or Of Godfrey of Bouillion, and will
even enlist under his banners, as well from
political as from philanthropic and humani-
tartan motives--in view of the inevitable ex-
tirpation Of Radicalism and Atheism which
owe large share OF their past success to the
bad stomachs, and disordered gastric juices
Of the people; we never knew prominent
and earnest Radical or an Intidel In religion
who had o good stomach or who cared what
he Gator how his food was cooked; even Hor-
ace Greeley never abandoned his political
ultraism In this direction and became recon-
ciled to Democratic ideas and habits, until he
had renowned his bran bread and diet and
switched drinks, and on his Wis to this city
partaken quite heartily of one of the most
elaborate and elegant dinners ever served up
by Moreau in the highest style OF French art
inry nd &c, ;ol
always been characteristic Of the Democracy.
The great apostle Of Democracy, Thomas
jefferson, was as ardent and devoted a cham
pion of the sublime truths Of French gas
tronomy as he was of the political tenets of
Democracy. His great quarrel with Patrick
Henry and the apostacy OF that originally
firm and earnest Democrat to Federalism, was
warmly due to to quarrel which arose at
dinner given by Mr.. Jefferson when accord
ing to Patrick Henry, he had nothing but
French fixings on the table, and had abjured his
native victuals-" bacon and green's" The
old Federalists made a vain effort to prolong
their power in Virginia, by the denunciation of
reforms introduced by Mr. jefferson into the
Virginia kitchens, to which is due the reputa- |
ton the old State has ever since enjoyed for |
neE superiority over OLnef States in her
cookery, and the fact that the best book of |
receipts and the most valuable and instruc- |
tive treatise in domestic cookery ever pub
lished In this country, is the product OF a |
Virginia lady Of the illustrious Randolph
family.
And now, having failed as a religious and |
political orator, Col Bob. Ingersoll embarks
in sphere in which he is certain to win un-
perishable glory, and to place his name
among the great benefactors and philanthro-i
pists as reformer and missionary or his
capacity and his appreciation of the duties
Of his new mission, we have formed very
favorable opinion from the single extract of
ls gastronomic crusade, which denouItces as
, felony the frying of beefsteak; we pre-
sumo he follows up this indisputably sound
md wise proposition with others of like
character, prescribing severe penalties against
buses and solecsms In our cookery, such as
he baking turkey Or rib of beef, the use
# stoves and ranges, which virtually prevent
casting, and reduce everything to to mis-
rable bake. to the utter destruction of the
he most valuable nutrition and gustatory
Qualities of orr best material for food; and also