The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-12-14

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The Balimore San, of Tuesday, made
this subject the basis Of some very proper
comments on the gross earieatures in Har-
pers Weekly, during the late campaign,
We endorse fully the structures Of our con.
temporary, but think that the publishers
of the Weekly, instead of Mast, their art
list, deserve to be held up to public repre-
hension. They profess to be christian
gentlemen, and to publish journal of .ei-
vilizatiOn, while their paper is libel up
on every such pretensicn. In view of the
death Of Mr. Greeley, the query has often
presented itself 20 our mind, whether there
was a sufficient sense Of shame remaining
in the breasts Of the publishers Of that
Journal, to occasion them any regret The
following are the structures Of the SIN:
I'VE are not of those who think that
the late presidential contest was marked
by stronger and mere virulent personal in
vectiye and detraction than any that pre-
ceded ii. The records of our earlier presi-
dental elections, and Of the days of Jack
son and Harrison, disprove such a propo-
sition. But it cannot be denied that one
agency Of political warfare has been EN-.
ployed in the late canvass which is more
demoralizing in its effects upon the com
munity at large, more subtle, iusidious and
malignant than any heretofore adopted.
The virulenee of party hatreds has trans
ferred itself to earicature with such de-
moniaeal recklessness Of truth, deceney and
sensibilityas il has never before been possible
TO express through any other medium of
political warfare. We have borrowed from
France that eommunistic instrument of
ridieule, the earicature, aud ii has been
employed in the late canvass with a fero-
eious and reckless audaeity never known
in France itself except in revolutionary
times. Cartoons exhibiting some phase of
politics or public affairs have been in use
before, but none SO vile and infamous as
those employed in the late election. There
have been social caricatnrists who lifted
the fair external veil that hides the gross
ness Of the most civilized communities.
but this has been generally done with a
design TO make human nature better and
vice more detestable by the exposure. But
the pencil, like the pen, has power,
which, capable Of the best uses. may be
mas 4.sd - he A
handwriting may turn his peculiar gift to
forgery, and one having the gift Of sketch
ing and the capacity to lay hold of any sa-
lent topic of the moment and turn it 10
purposes Of laughable illustration. NAV
pcryert his talent to the creation Of the
most monstrous libels, and become cor
rupter and enemy of society. Ii is said
we know not with what truth-that the
late Horace Greeley was sorely wounded
by the poisonous stuff elected upon him in
those earieatures in Harpers so-called
journal of Cir7i=ation," which had as
little mercy as truth in them, and which
were even more merciless to the public
than they were to the subject The same
artist-if, indeed, such defamer Of good
men is worthy Of the name-sought to
bring Mr., Sumner into contempt because
he had expressed his forgiveness of Mr..
Brooks, by representing him in ridicu-
lous attitude kneeling at the grave of his
old assailant What was this but to throw
ridicule upon the principle of forgiveness,
a cardinal principle of Christianity, of