Cartoon portraying Stephen Douglas as a gladiator to symbolize his split with the Buchanan Administration on the admission of Kansas to the Union as an enslaving state. Depicts Douglas, attired in a tunic, armor, and sandals, defiantly holding his shield of "Popular Sovereignty, The Majority Rule" and sword labeled "Freedom of the Elective Franchise" in the center of a battle arena. He prepares to use his armament to fight against the admission of Kansas under the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution, which was fraudulently ratified because of the barring and abstention of free-state voters. To the left of Douglas, President Buchanan, attired as a gladiator, fends off Robert J. Walker, the Kansas Territory Governor and an advocate of popular sovereignty. In the right, a gladiator representing the power of the "Free Press" trounces the gladiator representing the "Washington Union," the Administration's organ. On the ground lies the Roman standard with an eagle, which reads “S.P.Q.R. Salaries Paid Quite Regular.” The arena is filled with white men and women spectators with various facial expressions of cheer, anger, and shock., Title from item., Publication date supplied by Weitenkampf., Manuscript note written on recto: Douglas-Lecompton question., Purchase 1958., Description revised 2021., Access points revised 2021., Part of digital collections catalog through a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett, Governor, 2013-2014.
Date
[1858]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department Political Cartoons - 1858-1w [6268.F]
