The Democratic funeral of 1848

The Democratic funeral of 1848. Foreseeing political death for the Democrats in the election, the artist imagines a funeral of the party's standard-bearers with a procession of the faithful. Democratic senators (left to right) Sam Houston of Texas, Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri, (obscured unidentified man), and South Carolina's John Calhoun carry a litter bearing the bodies of Van Buren, as a fox, and Lewis Cass, as a gas balloon (an unflattering play on his last name). Cass expels clouds of gas from his mouth. Benton carries a slip of paper with the words, Last of the Family Reign. Calhoun carries an iron collar or manacle labeled Slavery. They are followed by a second group of pallbearers: Ohio Senator William Allen, former Van Buren advisor Amos Kendall, New Hampshire Democratic leader Levi Woodbury, and former general William Worth, who carry a stretcher bearing retiring President Polk (with cloven hoofs and a devil's tail). Kendall also carries a document labeled Latest Despatch while Worth holds his Military Comi--- Commission?, possibly alluding to his role in the Scott-Pillow controversy. (See Self-Inflating Pillow, no. 1848-2.) An empty Sub Treasury box lies open next to Polk on the stretcher. The Independent or Sub Treasury bill was a widely criticized measure passed by the Polk administration in August 1846. All of the mourners wear clerical robes. A tombstone for the newspaper Washington Union is at left and a monument To the Memory of Democracy at right. Date 1848. The Democratic funeral of 1848. Foreseeing political death for the Democrats in the election, the artist imagines a funeral of the party's standard-bearers with a procession of the faithful. Democratic senators (left to right) Sam Houston of Texas, Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri, (obscured unidentified man), and South Carolina's John Calhoun carry a litter bearing the bodies of Van Buren, as a fox, and Lewis Cass, as a gas balloon (an unflattering play on his last name). Cass expels clouds of gas from his mouth. Benton carries a slip of paper with the words, Last of the Family Reign. Calhoun carries an iron collar or manacle labeled Slavery. They are followed by a second group of pallbearers: Ohio Senator William Allen, former Van Buren advisor Amos Kendall, New Hampshire Democratic leader Levi Woodbury, and former general William Worth, who carry a stretcher bearing retiring President Polk (with cloven hoofs and a devil's tail). Kendall also carries a document labeled Latest Despatch while Worth holds his Military Comi--- Commission?, possibly alluding to his role in the Scott-Pillow controversy. (See Self-Inflating Pillow, no. 1848-2.) An empty Sub Treasury box lies open next to Polk on the stretcher. The Independent or Sub Treasury bill was a widely criticized measure passed by the Polk administration in August 1846. All of the mourners wear clerical robes. A tombstone for the newspaper Washington Union is at left and a monument To the Memory of Democracy at right. Date 1848

Advisor Alluding Amos Bearers Benton Buren Calhoun Carolinas Cass Clerical Cloven Commission Controversy Criticized Despatch Expels Faithful Followed Foreseeing Hoofs Houston Imagines Inflating Kendall Labeled Levi Litter Measure Memory Missouri Mourners Obscured Ohio Pallbearers Passed Pillow Polk Retiring Senators Slip Stretcher Tombstone Treasury Unflattering Widely Woodbury Worth

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