Plebeian (Daily, Weekly Plebeian)
Plebian (NYHS and AAS)
Daily Plebeian, Slamm & Guion, $5/yr, two cent daily, 155 Nassau st, opposite the Park
AAS June 27, 1842, its first issue, opens with Geo Morris poem “God has made us free!”
motto is “press onward”
front page has long article transl fr German on national character, fr Edinburgh Review, America is irritable. p. 2 ad for Ming’s Saloon, 146 Broadway, accommodations for ladies. loves Fanny. statement of policy, support Democrats, oppose monopoly, pro free trade, equal rights, a party paper. but caters to all interests, sound tastes, will do lit crit which has been neglected by previous Demo editors, charge they are indifferent, will remove this defect. nor will we deform public taste by vile and mercenary system of indiscrim panegyric
July 7, no Demo papers in Astor Hse reading rm?
C Thompson Cortlandt st advertises engr, litho
July 12, industrial servitude is lot of laboring classes in supposed Civilization
Aug 12, whole front page is given over to description, with two drawings of floorplan and rather fortress like enclosure, of a Fourierist Association
ads are for Niblos, Bowery, Vauxhall, Castle Garden, Amer Museum
story suggests being in convent is ok?!
Oct 7 1842; Oct 15, Oct 19, Oct 25 (most of these papers are just fragments)
Jan 5, 1843, Jan 23, Jan 24, gives whole sermon by Rev Chas Finney.
Daily P—April 15,1843, 150 Nassau st, near Spruce, 2 cents, “Press Onward”
OPQ is their facetious Albany correspondent. 1st page covers Jefferson annivesary dinner at Tammany, with a long defensive speech by the Mayor. Likes NP Willis’ Tortesa the Usurer at the Bowery. Lots of legislative coverage. Ads for Mitchell’s, Chatham and Am Museum
AAS Dec 2, 1843, Dec 23, publishes NP Willis’ vindication of himself fr various charges in Portland paper, p. 2 attacks New England Society for annual selfish festival tries to turn landing of pilgrims into natl event, sectional spirit
Jan 13, 1844. covers trial between Moses Beach and Bennett, including all the excerpts fr Herald that Beach uses to show that the Herald is libelous, lewd, profane and scurrilous. Also includes the strawberry girl anecdote about Mrs Bennett, compares her composition on the cry to one on the sounds of Niagara.
p. 2 wants Van bUren for Pres. Beach’s fine deserved, his libel was on Bennet’s wife, Bennet deserves gratitude for course in restraining intrusion on sanctity of private life. Likes Inman’s Columbian Mag. Notes sale of Eugene Sue’s mysteries.
p. 4 libel story on Mrs Bennet orig in Etats des Unis paper
Mar 2 1844, Mar 16, CD Stuart writes an Ode to Jackson for the occasion of the jubilee opening presidential campaign
says the Aurora has cloven foot of federalism peeping fr assumed garb of democracy, a mongrel whose only aim is to procure the ltd patronage of the administration
Weekly P, June 15, 1844, has a pro Polk poem by MB, another excerpt fr New Monthly Mag, notices Schiller’s poems ed Bulwer; “for the Plebeian” The Evils of a Vicious and Corrupt Literature Stated” cheapness has made it accessible to garret and cellar, pervades all ranks and classes, 3 types, one of which is the penny press. Admirers of Bulwer et al now tenants of our prisons and brothels, no one can safely read them, it is like looking at lascivious and obscene pictures, the passions will become excited, and the moral affections debased. Frivolous light and worthless lit also a danger, engrosses time without making us better, pervert taste for more substantial food, make you want more. Penny press—age remarkable for diffusion of knowledge—is part of diffusion, its general tendency are favorable to virtue, unless abused.
Weekly P—July 13, 1844, 3 cents. Has Dec of Indep reproduced, some poems. Lots on the Phila riots, says not caused by Catholics but by Native Americans, cites Spirit of the Times account. Hardly any ads.
Daily P Sept 28 1844, Levi D Slamm, editor, name more prominent on masthead, cheaper--$4/yr instead of $5, 9 cents a week, office now at 111 Nassau. Crit of the Trib’s pretended democracy in anti-rent issues. Ruse to get whig votes. Support the Polk/Dallas ticket. Lists reps to the congressional/senatorial/assembly conventions, includes Henry Arcularius jr in the 3rd Ward, Henry Brevoort in the 12th, Saml Osgood in the 15th, Isaac Vermilyes in the 17th, Geo S Messerve in the 6th district 17th ward, John B Spofford in the 8th ward.
The Cornucopia eating place (an advertiser) is hq of Empire Club. Trib Courier Expr and other federalist papers turn Whig provocation into Dem attack.
Park, Niblo’s advertise, so does Anelli for End of the World, and Plumbe’s; detailed ad for Am Inst fair
followed? by the Plebeian and Democrat, with just Levi Slamm as ed, 111 Nassau st, nine cents a week, $4 yr.
Nov 4, 1844, big banner for James Polk. calls Whigs coons (Hamilton Fish assd with this term too)
NYHS Daily P Jan. 18 1845 pub by Casper C Childs at Nassau and Ann st. consistently has chancery ads. Has story “Arabella” fr New Monthly Mag on 1st page. Notices a call for a mtg at Tammany to erect a statue to Genl Jackson in the city, based on Frazee (fellow citizen) model done in 1834. Has an ad for Noah’s Restoration of the Jews, also TS Arthur stuff and Kendall’s Life of Jackson, also a history of Greece; P Haas of DC has opened dag studio on Broadway.
Support immediate annexation, mtg to benefit Genl Morris at Astor hse, praises the New World (which advertises). Has money market column. More ads fr restaurants, watches etc than fr auctions.