Great Reception of Mr. Seward at Chicago; THE WIDE-AWAKE DEMONSTRATION; Editorial-The Wide-Awake Parade (10/3/1860)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 10/3/1860

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Special Dispatch to the New-York Times. CHICAGO, Tuesday, Oct. 2. The Seward demonstration here to-day and evening exceeds anything of the kind ever seen this side of New-York in the number of people, the display of Wide-Awakes, illuminations and fireworks. His speech was one of his boldest utterances of Republican principles, elaborate and argumentative. He speaks in Cleveland on Thursday. E. Dispatch to the Associated Press. CHICAGO, Tuesday, Oct. 2. The weather to-day has been very fine. All the early trains this morning came loaded with deputations from the country towns to attend the Republican demonstration here to-day. Other trains during the day brought large accessions to the already largest gathering of the kind ever held in this city. At 2 1/2 P.M., Gov. SEWARD was escorted by nearly 500 Lincoln Rangers to the Wigwam, which was packed to its utmost capacity, while large numbers outside were unable to gain admittance. A platform was erected in the street, from which Mr. SEWARD spoke for an hour and a half. The meeting in the Wigwam was addressed by Hon. OWEN LOVEJOY, Hon. C.B. DENIS, and other prominent Republicans. It is impossible to give anything like an accurate estimate of the number present, which is variously estimated at from 75,000 to 100,000.

[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]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

The Political Campaign: Great Reception of Mr. Seward at Chicago – 2
The Wide-Awake Demonstration – 2-3
Editorial: The Wide-Awake Parade – 3
A Blow at the Fusion Movement – 3-4
Movements of the Prince – 4
General City News – 4
Police Reports – 4

[Jim W N]

1860’s “Wide Awake”.

2020’s “Woke”.

Same as it ever was.

[AlmaKing]

Picture 3, 4th column describes the Wide Awakes. They seem to be young Republicans supporting Lincoln and emancipation.

[BroJoeK]

Jim W N: "1860’s “Wide Awake”.
2020’s “Woke”.
Same as it ever was."

If you imagine 1860 Republican "Wide Awakes" somehow equate to 2020 "Wokes", then consider this mission statement from the 1860 Chicago Wide Awakes -- how well does it correspond to today's "wokes":

1. "To act as a political police.
2. To do escort duty to all prominent Republican speakers who visit our place to address our citizens.
3. To attend all public meetings in a body and see that order is kept and that the speaker and meeting is not disturbed.
4. To attend the polls and see that justice is done to every legal voter.
5. To conduct themselves in such a manner as to induce all Republicans to join them.
6. To be a body joined together in large numbers to work for the good of the Republican Ticket."

Compare 1860 to 2020:

[Jim W N]

The similar terminology is interesting.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Their mission statement makes them sound like a secular political version of the Knights of Columbus.

[BroJoeK]

"The similar terminology is interesting."

Sure, and if you look up "woke" it does trace the idea back to 1860s "Wide Awakes".
I'm only saying they were very, very different people & ideologies -- as different as conservative Republicans from radical Leftists.

Also, Southerners responded to Wide Awakes much as we do to Woke Antifa/BLM rioters -- Southerners condemned Wide Awakes .
Then they formed their own Southern Minutemen, also with uniforms & nighttime torch rallies.

In the opening days of Civil War, both Northern Wide Awakes and Southern Minutemen enlisted in large numbers in their respective armies.

[BroJoeK]

"Their mission statement makes them sound like a secular political version of the Knights of Columbus."

Sure, or any number of similar organizations like (we can't say "the Boy Scouts" any more) oh... Elks, Shriners, Odd Fellows.
In fact, they were the Tea Party of their day, conservative Republicans who clean up their own mess when the demonstration is over.

But they were also deadly serious, up to half a million strong, and when Civil War came, they volunteered in large numbers.
My guess is that many became the Union army's officer & NCO cadre.