The North Bend farmer and his visitors

A slanderous portrayal of Democratic tactics against Whig presidential candidate William Henry Harrison. The supposedly insidious and high-living Van Buren and his minions suffer by comparison to the Whig candidate, here portrayed as rustic and plainspoken. Harrison is shown dressed in buckskins and standing near a plough on his Ohio farm. A contingent of Democrats have arrived in an elegant coach at left. The visitors are (left to right) Francis Preston Blair, Amos Kendall, John Calhoun, and Martin Van Buren. Blair remarks to Kendall, "I will state in my paper that we found him drinking Rye Whiskey and that will kill him with the Temperance men and reading Abolition tracts settles him in the South. Our readers you know will swallow anything. I must make the most of this interview as our case is desperate indeed." Kendall responds, "Why he is quite a natural. He dont suspect us to be Spies . . . We may be able to furnish you with something clever for the Globe [i.e., Blair's newspaper the Washington "Globe]."" Calhoun protests to Van Buren, "Matty this is a dirty job. I don't like it." Van Buren says, "As I live that is old Harrison himself the old fool. After the many opportunities he has had of enriching himself to live in a log cabin and plough his own ground. Now look at me who never pulled a trigger, or chased an Indian unless by proxy: I roll in riches, and live in splendour, dine with kings, make my sons princes, enrich my friends, punish my enemies, and laugh in my sleeve at the dear People whom I gull." Harrison greets them with, "Gentlemen you seem fatigued, If you will accept of the fare of a log cabin, with a Western farmer's cheer, you are welcome. I have no champagne but can give you a mug of good cider, with some ham and eggs, and good clean beds. I am a plain backwoodsman, I have cleared some land, killed some Indians, and made the Red Coats fly in my time."
Printed & published by H.R. Robinson, no. 52 Cortlandt St. N.Y. & Pennsa. Avenue Washington D.C.
Signed with monogram: HD (Henry Dacre?).
Title appears as it is written on the item.
Weitenkampf, p. 64.
Forms part of: American cartoon print filing series (Library of Congress)
Published in: American political prints, 1766-1876 / Bernard F. Reilly. Boston : G.K. Hall, 1991, entry 1840-36.