THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: THE DOUGLAS BARBECUE; Thirty Thousand People in Jones’ Wood; Editorial-Douglas and Fusion (9/13/1860)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 9/13/1860

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Douglas Democrats held a large meeting at Jones' Wood yesterday. The "Grand Political Carnival and Ox-roast," so extensively advertised, drew together an assemblage of from 20,000 to 30,000 people. The monstrous blue eagle in the poster, that stared citizens in the face from every board fence and new brick wall, from whose beak streamed the pleonastic placard, "Popular Sovereignty of the People, was not limned for nothing. Early in the day the beef-eating Democrats began to gather without the inclosure from which the viands were to be dispensed. The native voters and the unnaturalized votaries of the party on empty stomachs wended to the Wood, and awaited the feast for which they had reserved their appetites. But disappointment waits on expectation. Of all those who for hours stood there in hungry anticipation, comparatively few obtained a dinner. An ox, a sheep, a calf, and a hog, were the sacrifices by which the people were sought to be propitiated. The ox, it is said, weighed 2,200 pounds before it was slaughtered, and was from Kentucky. All were presented by New-York butchers, and were killed on Monday. At 6 P.M. on that day the cooking commenced. In a trench sixteen feet long, eight feet wide, and five feet deep, lined with stone, a fire was built, and when the heat became intense the ox spitted on a young hickory tree, forty-eight feet long, was laid across the hole. Every now and then the spit was turned, that the meat might be equably roasted on all sides. The fire occupied only a portion of the bottom of the trench. On the other part tin pans were laid, in which the juice of the meat was caught.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

1

2

3

4

5

[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Presidential Campaign: The Douglas Barbecue – 2
Editorial: Douglas and Fusion – 2-3
The Disaster upon Lake Michigan – 3
Editorial: Communication with the Pacific – 3
The Lady Elgin Disaster – 3-4
Another Lake Disaster – 4
The Recent Murders: Conclusion of the Inquest in the Clark-street Case – 4
The Murder in Fortieth-street – 4
Relief for Syrian Sufferers – 4
The Prince of Wales – 4-5
The Spanish-Mexican Dispute – 5
Hudson River Items – 5
Military and Naval Intelligence: Two Indian Battles – 5
The Manufacture of Citizens-Business Active at the City Hall – 5

[Hebrews 11:6]

Love the writing of that day.

[Cincinnatus.45-70]

“The native voters and the unnaturalized votaries...” That is an interesting phrase from 1860. Implies that even then unnaturalized residents of the US could not vote. Also seems to indicate that even then the Democrat Party of Slavery drew the naturalized like flies.

[nwrep]

Any illustrations of this BBQ?

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Alas no. The only illustrations I have seen in the 160-year-old news so far are in Harper’s Weekly. Except once. There was a diagrammatic picture of the Great Eastern in one NY Times issue during the summer. It showed the ship turned vertical and was squeezed into one of their usual columns. They obviously haven’t got pictures figured out yet.