Going up Salt River

Political cartoons friendly to Van Buren were the rare exception during the 1840 campaign. Here the artist parodies the exploitation by Whig politicians of populist candidate William Henry Harrison. Martin Van Buren stands on the bank of a stream wishing the Harrison party "a quick voyage, take care you dont spill your valuable cargo." Harrison appears as a donkey wading in the shallows with a barrel of "Hard Cider" tied to its tail, carrying senators Henry Clay and Daniel Webster and Virginia representative Henry A. Wise on his back. Harrison: "I feel very much like a donkey!" Webster: "I say Wise do you think we have enough hard cider to last us to the Hedd of Navigation!" Wise: "Oh Webster dont be frightened we have plenty lashed on to the stern. What say you Clay!" Clay: "I'm content!" The image is clumsily drawn, but otherwise resembles Edward Williams Clay's work. There may have been some use of transfer paper in the lithographic process.Drawn by Edward Williams Clay?Published by John Childs, 90 Nassau St. New York.Title appears as it is written on the item.Weitenkampf, p. 67.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 1840-49