Thomas Nast's Original "Compromise
with the South" Print
You are viewing an
incredible Civil War illustration by Thomas Nast. It is entitled
"Compromise with the South" The leaf was created in September, 1864, two
months before the 1864 presidential election. At this time the Union
had grown weary of the war, and the grisly toll it had taken on the country.
Few thought that Abraham Lincoln had much of a chance of wining reelection.
Thomas Nast "Compromise with the South"
(Click on Image for Enlarged View)
This illustration makes a
political statement that captures the mood of the nation at the time. The
print is titled, "Compromise with the South", and the caption reads,
"Dedicated to the Chicago Platform." Basically, George McClellan was running
against Lincoln, and the Democratic convention was held in Chicago. The
Chicago Platform, which McClellan was running on was to end the war by
compromising with the south.
Nast was a fierce
supporter for the Union cause. This illustration is a classic example of
Nast skillfully using allegory and melodrama in his art to support the cause
he believed was just. "Compromise with the South," published in Harper's
Weekly on September 3, 1864, shows Columbia weeping at the grave of "Union
Heroes in a Useless War" as a weary Union amputee shakes the hand of a
neatly groomed Southern soldier. The epitaph on the grave reads "In memory
of the Union Heroes who Fell in a Useless War". On the grave is a broken
sword that reads "Northern Power". The Southern flag to the right of the
print is inscribed with the word "Treason" and has a list of alleged Rebel
atrocities in the war. The upside down union flag on the right has a list of
the bloody battles of the war the Union had suffered through. The image is
said to have brought Nast "instant fame" and was reprinted widely by the
Republicans in their effort to have Lincoln re-elected. The image showed
that if the Nation adopted McClellan's position, that it would in fact be a
victory for the South, and all the sacrifice and loss in the war would have
been for nothing. It is widely believed that this image played a crucial
role in the reelection of Abraham Lincoln to a second term as President.
We hope you enjoy this complete Gallery of
the Civil War works of Thomas Nast. We have created this digital
archive for the use of researchers and students of Thomas Nast. Please
remember that the digitally enhanced images are Copyright ©
Son of the South Material, so do not use them without asking permission.
If you would like to use any of these images, please ask. For more
A Note to our Readers
We created this
Thomas Nast Gallery to digitally preserve Nast's Civil War work for
posterity. We are now making the original, 140 year old leafs
available for a price of $250 each. The proceeds from the sale of the
material will enable us to continue to expand the material featured on our
site. Please contact
if you are interested in acquiring one of these original leafs.