February 13, 1861; The New York Herald
In the course of his very remarkable speech at Springfield, the President elect made an allusion to the pills of the homeopathists’ as being too large for the opponents of coercion to swallow. The comparison is more after the manner of Hon. Massa Greeley than that of the ancient rail splitter, but still may be of use with another application. If the incoming administration pursues the homeopathic plan in its dealings with the cotton States, giving allopathic doses of kindness, concession and conciliation, and administering infinitesimal doses of coercion, the national troubles may be settled, and the Union, which is really very sick, be restored to better health than ever. Otherwise, with allopathic coercion and homeopathic compromise, Doctor Lincoln may as well get ready for a funeral. He will have the poor consolation of not being the only political quack who has killed his patient through combined stupidity and ignorance.