"Conservative, n: A statesman who is enamored of existing evils, as distinguished from the Liberal who wishes to replace them with others"

This quote by Ambrose Bierce is a satirical talk about the distinctions between conservatives and liberals. A conservative is somebody who is material with the present state of affairs and is not interested in making any modifications. They are content with the existing evils and do not want to replace them with something else. On the other hand, a liberal is someone who is not pleased with the current state of affairs and wants to make changes. They are not content with the existing evils and wish to replace them with something else. This quote is a funny method of highlighting the distinctions between conservatives and liberals.