Diogenes Campaigns for Lincoln?

The More things Change …

We have mentioned that on November 2, 1860 there was a huge Republican rally in New York City. William H. Seward was the main speaker. The Wide Awakes were understandably a big part of the event. It seems that one of the functions of these paramilitary organizations was to escort the candidates throughout their cities. For example, after Seward’s speech the Wide Awakes escorted Seward from the Palace Garden to the Astor House.

The Wide Awakes were all over the city on the night of Seward’s speech. The marched in Brooklyn; they were attacked by Fusion supporters in Manhattan. Here’s a part of the description of the Manhattan activity on November 2nd (from The New-York times. November 3, 1860):

THE TORCH-LIGHT DEMONSTRATION.
We are told that DIOGENES once indulged in a solus
search through the streets of Athens, with a lantern in
his hand, for an honest man. A resuscitated Greek
in our City last evening might have thought that
several thousand peripatetics had taken up the search
which the old Cynic abandoned in disgust. He would
have been fortified in this opinion by the fact that the
noctivigant gentlemen with torches confined their
guest to the upper part of the City, not looking in the
vicinity of the City Hall, nor approaching within
several Roman-candle shots the purlieus of
Wall-street . But the resuscitated Greek would
have been mistaken in his conclusions. The
illuminated gentlemen were simply vigilant Wide-
Awakes, desirous of proving that they were not
sleepy on the eve of election.

Ahh, finally! Honest Abe!

Avoiding City Hall and Wall Street

Some things about the Civil War era seem so old-fashioned. How many modern journalists would allude to Diogenes in a report about an election campaign? (How many modern students learn about ancient Greece?) Then some things seem so strikingly modern. As far as I know, Tammany Hall no longer runs New York City, but it seems that many Americans are at least wary of government. There have been numerous government scandals throughout my lifetime that would make that wariness understandable. And certainly there has been dishonesty associated with Wall Street the past few years.

Thank you for your comments.

Update

I found out yesterday there actually is a painting of Diogenes and Lincoln. It was done by Solomon N. Carvalho in 1865. You can view it at Jewish-American History Foundation. It is part of the collection at The Rose Art Museum at Brandeis university