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66 SOMETHING THAT WILL BLOW OVER

Of the daily papers in New York City, the Times led the campaign for Grant, seconded by the Commercial Advertiser and other regular Republican journals. The Post, though it had criticised the Administration, also fell into line. Even the Herald accorded a lukewarm support, for which, it did not hesitate to say, it expected to dictate Grant's cabinet policy in

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event of his election.

But it was distinctly a campaign of caricature - the first great battle of pictures ever known in America. Morgan portrayed Grant

more besotted and

more villainous with

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each issue of Leslie's, and each week Harper's showed some new inconsistency in Mr. Greeley's political attitude.

For the most part the Nast pictures, in

the beginning, were

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One of the least severe of the Morgan cartoons against Grant
WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE AND FOUND WANTING

U. s. G.: "Well, who'd have thought that the old white hat, boots and

axe would have more weight than all these hangers-on of mine?"

(President Grant depicted as an intoxicated military tyrant, with Secretary Fish, Senator Morton, "Boss" Tweed and others as hangers-on)

*

not bitter. Greeley the editor hurrahing for Greeley the nominee-Greeley as Mazeppa-Greeley trying to carry off Grant's shoes-Greeley's white hat and coat on a pole, storm-tossed and labelled "Something That Will Blow Over "-Greeley splitting the Democratic Log-Greeley as the Trojan Horse in which Democracy is trying to enter Washington-these were at once good-natured and humorous pictures at which the sage himself might have laughed. But the picture battle did not end here. Morgan's portrayals of the President became more scurrilous. Grant as Belshazzar-Grant leering and sodden on his throneGrant as drunken Jeremy Diddler, dancing before TweedGrant as an embezzler more than ten times as great as the "Boss"-Grant arrested as a drunken malefactor by the Tribune and the Sun-such pictures as these did not tend to temper the pencil of Nast, and presently we find Whitelaw Reid grinding the "Organ" and Horace Greeley as a monkey collecting votes from the assembled Democrats of Tammany, new and old. As Mr. Greeley's continuous performance in attempting to justify, or deny, or apologize for his past record, furnished daily matter for the amusement columns, this picture was pretty generally applauded and but slightly condemned, even by the Liberal" press. But, such cartoons as Greeley shaking hands with the Baltimore rough, over the fallen soldiers of the Sixth Massachusetts-Greeley joining hands with the worst element of Irish Romanism-" Old Honesty "marshalling his army of jail-birds and " Ring" associates-(anything to beat Grant)—these brought down upon Harper's Weekly and the head of Nast a fierce outburst of condemnation from every anti-Grant journal and voter in the land. Letters, papers and clippings poured in, demanding, threatening and pleading. Dignified journals sought to divert Nast by praising his former

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* Roscoe Conkling, Grant's foremost " champion in the field," characterized the struggle as a "campaign of hate."

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YOU CAN'T PLAY THE OLD TROJAN HORSE GAME ON UNCLE SAM

work and pointing out his mistake in "holding up to ridicule and condemnation a man so widely respected as Horace Greeley." A letter came suggesting that the "Irish vote was likely to be alienated " by introducing Pat into the pictures. Fletcher Harper forwarded this letter to Nast with. a note of indorsement on the back:

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If it is right to hit "Pat," hit him hard. Our paper is run for the good of our country. It is not a party organ. So go ahead. F. Harper.

To Professor Nast.

Curiously enough none of these documents of protest found anything to condemn in the mendacious editorials and libellous caricatures that were daily and weekly directed against the serene soldier who had led the nation's armies to victory. They pointed to Horace Greeley's "splendid record" and reviled Nast as a blackguard and Harper's Weekly as a "Journal of Degradation."

So Nast took up the record of Horace Greeley, as shown by editorial expressions from his own paper. "Another Feather in His Hat" depicted the Sage adding the "Cincinnati Nomination" to a collection of other plumes, among which were "Peaceable Secession, 1860," "On to Richmond, 1861," "Peace Negotiations at Niagara, 1862," "Down with Lincoln, 1864," "Bailing Jeff. Davis, 1865," and " Anything to Beat Grant, 1872."

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But this was mild. In a single issue there were three terrible exhibits. The first, a front page, showed Greeley in charge of a whipping-post, swinging the Tribune cat-o'-nine-tails and branding "thief," liar," convict," and "black-leg," (his own words, formerly applied to Democrats,) on the bare backs of those whose suffrage he now sought. The second picture, also a full page, entitled " Bringing the Thing Home," showed Greeley gloating over the ruin of Southern firesides, and, underneath, this extract:

When the rebellious traitors are overwhelmed in the field, and are scattered like leaves before an angry wind, it must not be to return to peaceful and contented homes. They must find poverty at their firesides, and see privation in the anxious eyes of mothers and the rags of children.

By some mischance the date of this cruel expression-cruel indeed for one reputed as a tender-hearted man-was put down

as November 26, 1860. Immediately the Tribune published a scornful denial. Fatal step! Both the Times and Harper's Weekly promptly looked up the true date (May 1, 1861), the picture was immediately reprinted as a campaign document, and upon its back four columns of other damning extracts. The third exhibit of this memorable issue of Harper's Weekly was a small picture on the back page, entitled "Red Hot!" and depicted Greeley eating a porridge of "My Own Words and Deeds." And this also, with three others, was republished in a pamphlet, entitled " Greeley Illustrated," with still another series of the Sage's unfortunate utterances, including his famous declaration concerning the Democratic party: May it be written on my grave that I never was its follower, and lived and died in nothing its debtor.

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In another place:

ANOTHER FEATHER IN HIS HAT

A purely selfish interest attaches the lewd, ruffianly, criminal and dangerous classes to the Democratic party.

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"RED HOT!"

And still farther along: What I demand is proof that the Southern people really desire separation from the Free States. Whenever assured that such is their settled wish, I shall joyfully cooperate with them to secure the end they seek.

The last sentiment had been expressed as late as January, 1861, and there were columns

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