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Looking for Lincoln: Political Rallies:
Politics in Lincolns' day was a heady mixture of civic duty and community and entertainment. A striking example of mid-19th century hoopla was the gigantic Whig rally and parade held during the 1840 presidential campaign. Whigs supported Gen. William Henry Harrison against the incumbent Democrat, Martin Van Buren, in the "log cabin and hard cider" campaign.
Whig faithful converged on Springfield from as far as 200 miles in all directions. Veterans of the Revolution and the War of 1812 led the parade. Soon came Illinois delegations. "First among these was the Cook County contingent with a miniature brig, thirty feet long and completely rigged, drawn by six horses. Fayette County had a log cabin which its delegates had dragged all the way from Vandalia ... bands were plentiful, banners myriad." Up and down Sixth Street marched the delegate.s When they reached the prairie at the south end of town, 15,000 people were served an "old style barbeque." Hard cider was plentiful.
Thirty-one year old Abraham Lincoln was an ardent Whig in 1840. An eyewitness observed him in these proceedings:
"Mr Lincoln stood in a wagon, from which he addressed the mass of people that surrounded it... At times he discussed the questions of the time in a logical way, but much time was devoted to telling stories to illustrate some phase of his argument, though more often the telling of these stories was resorted to for the purpose of rendering his opponents ridiculous... One story he told... was not one it would be seemly to publish; but rendered, as it was, in his inimitable way, it contained nothing that was offensive to refined taste." |