"Halt"

By Abra Floyd

On October 17, 1874, Harper’s Weekly published a cartoon in response to rising vigilantly violence in the southern United States.  During this time, the United States was in the midst of reconstruction, while also experiencing the beginnings of the Southern redemption in response to federal intervention for equal rights, the Civil Rights bill, etc.   The cartoon utilizes obvious and prominent images of good versus evil in order to portray its message.  The cartoon provides a powerful image of a woman wearing a “justice” belt opposing an assumed armed and violent Southern with a sword bar garnished with the U.S. Constitution.^[1]  The armed white Southern is standing on top of a bleeding African American symbolizing the oppressive Southern hold on African Americans’ rights. Because of the Harper Weekly’s political affiliation with the Republican party, as well as its understood ties to a greater Northern persuasion, the obvious good and bad sides go further than North Republican and Southern Democrat.  The woman helping fight and protect the injured black man represents the good and moral duty of the republicans; however, the cartoon’s image even further promotes the Republicans’ responsibility to keep the peace, stop the violence, and protect the nation from the Southerners. 

 This cartoon was published during 1874 when the South was actively trying to resist and find ways to oppose the congressional reconstruction in place.  At this time, violence was a prominent and ultimately effective way for the South to “redeem” control over the lifestyle (racial inequality).  Describing the use of violence from the Civil War to Reconstruction, historian, Carole Emberton writes, “…redemption from violence easily became redemption through violence.”^[2]  The increasing violence in the South stemmed from a particular group known as the Ku Klux Klan.  In the cartoon, the armed white man and the men behind him in the background are holding a flag saying, “White Men’s League.”  However, the capital building of Washington, D.C. is the woman fighting for justice’s background; thus, showing how the Republicans are fighting with law, justice, the U.S. Constitution, and the support of the federal government whereas the violent Democratic Southerners are fighting with guns and bayonets.  The difference in backgrounds is a more subtle way the cartoon represents the differences between the two parties in the cartoon.

In addition, the quote found at the bottom of the cartoon directly addresses the Southerners increasing violence by stating that it is the incorrect way to integrate blacks’ into society.  While the cartoon makes a clear satirical statement ridiculing the Southern Democrats, it makes a much more subtle paternalistic and racist statement of its own.  The quote not only condemns the method the Southerners are using to handle blacks, but also simultaneously acknowledges that the blacks do need help becoming proper citizens of society.  Also, the interference of the woman (Republicans) on behalf of the injured black subtly alludes to the paternalistic and racist ideology that blacks have to have help and support from the Republicans and federal government in order to be able to handle their new position in society.

This cartoon portrays political messages (Congressional reconstruction, Civil Rights bill effects) addressing the differences between the two regions, the two political parties, and the two races.  Harper’s Weekly intends to ridicule the method the South has turned to in order to fit blacks into society, and by doing so, automatically elevating the Republican party to a higher moral standard than the Democrats.  The cartoon’s depiction of the Southern violence also addresses a very prominent issue during the time of reconstruction where racial violence against blacks was becoming a common sight in the South.  Finally, despite the differences the cartoon wants to draw attention two amongst the different political parties, it also draws attention to the difference race makes in the 1870’s post Civil War time. 

Endnotes: