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| Southern cartoons delighted in humiliating Lincoln as well.
However, their opportunities for publishing these cartoons were not as frequent
as their Northern counterparts. Kristen Smith expands on this point, explaining
that “Readers will notice a marked difference in style between the
cartoons from the illustrated weekly newspapers in the North and those in
the South. Northern cartoons are mostly well executed and have a sensibility
similar to political cartoons today. The Southern cartoons…are crudely
drawn, and the ideas are often not as well crafted as their Northern counterparts”
(xvii). She points out that the main reasons for this distinction included
the lack of established publishing in the South, as well as the lack of
publishing supplies. |
| There was one Southern sympathizer whose cartoons stood out
amongst his peers for their wit and intelligence. John Adalbert Volck authored
cartoons during the Civil War from his home in Baltimore under the nom de
plume “V. Alda.” His cartoon entitled “Slaves Concealing
their Master from a Search Party” portrays the slaves themselves as
desirous to protect Southern culture. The cartoon depicts an anxious slave
owner being protected by his slaves, while a Union search party waits outdoors.
The rest of the slave family is shown as fearful and upset by the appearance
of the Union soldiers, as if they had disturbed a peaceful way of life for
the slaves. One important feature to note about this cartoon is the high
caliber of the slave quarters: they live in a single family home complete
with furniture, fireplace, and plenty of food. Had Volck drawn poorer living
conditions for the slaves, this cartoon could have taken on an entirely
different meaning. |
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| Volck attacked the abolitionist movement in the North, declaring it to
be ineffectual and tragic. His cartoon entitled “Free Negroes in the
North” portrays a freed slave living in squalor in a large city. White
men and women lead their own lives, ignoring the pauper’s pleas for
help. Only one man gives the former slave any money for survival. This cartoon
questions Northern motives of abolition by expressing concern over what
will happen to the slaves once they are free. This question would hang in
the minds of Americans in the decades to come. |
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