A Fantastic Lincoln Banner Comes to Light

We enjoy reading old newspapers and eyewitness accounts that describe the political banners that were used in presidential campaigns in years past. These hand-painted, “political statements” ranged from the crude and simple to the well-executed and elaborate. Each was a unique expression of their creators.

Our “fantasy de jour” is finding the Henry Clay banner described in the Vandalia Free Press of July 20, 1844. It was carried in the Whig Mass Meeting held in that city. The back side of the banner lists Abraham Lincoln as the “President” of the U. S. Bank and J. J. Hardin as the “Cashier”.

Despite the thousands of such banners produced during the campaigns of Abraham Lincoln, few have survived. Finding one is a red letter day for the fortunate collector. Rail Splitter Wynn Kintz recently acquired a “pair” of 1864 Lincoln banners that are particularly noteworthy. We were tempted to feature them under “Another Great Find” but feel they should be highlighted on the home page of our journal, front and center, for all to enjoy.

The banners are hand-painted. Each measures 51″ x 55″. They were likely placed back-to-back and carried in a parade attached to poles or a wooden frame. For display purposes, Wynn has framed them side by side, and rightly so.

The banners proclaim the support of “Greasy Mechanics for Lincoln & Johnson”. Lincoln was interested in the mechanical arts and is the only U. S. President to hold a patent. He also supported the right of laborers to strike to improve working conditions. During the Civil War, he was keenly interested in advancements in armaments. Andrew Johnson worked as a tailor prior to entering politics. So, despite being lawyers, they had the bona fides to be called the “working man’s friends”. But, “greasy mechanics” seems a little off-the-wall.

Some research provides the historical antecedents to this banner. The Civil War was a clash of cultures, life styles, coupled with class prejudices. The Southern elite scorned the immigrants and hardscrabble farmers who provided the cheap labor that fueled the Northern economy. A publicized remark by a South Carolina planter reflected this bias: “Free society! we sicken of the name. What is it but a conglomeration of greasy mechanics, filthy operatives, small-fisted farmers, and moonstruck theorists? All the northern and especially the New England states, are devoid of society fitted for well-bred gentlemen. The prevailing class is that of mechanics struggling to be genteel, and small farmers who do their own drudgery, and yet are hardly fit for association with a southern gentleman’s body servant.” Unwittingly, this critic provided the inspiration for some New England “greasy mechanics” to organize their support for Abraham Lincoln. Like the snobbish aspersion of William Henry Harrison’s predilection for log cabins and hard cider in 1840, the Republicans turned this criticism on its head! Fortunately, this relic of that brief moment in the presidential campaign of 1864 has survived, along with a great story.