Yankee Doodle
Yankee Doodle, ed Cornelius Mathews, office is in Tribune bldg., 6 cents or $3/yr; ad for phreno, Marg Fuller bks
Oct 10, 1846 p.3, YD comes to town,took lodgings at the Astor Hse and called a mtg at thePark, he has his hobby, it is the Am Continent. He wishes to see his opinions, people, towns, churches, pictures, statues, books, newspapers, filling it fr one end to the other, spreading over the prairies, crowding up into the nooks and angles of the North, and taking the whole South as in his outspread arms. Has too often had an eye on strangers’ books to be got for nothing, but keep at home, and consort with mtns etc. The object of any paper with his name the utter extirpation of old Fudgeism and Monkeyism in art, Lit, society and the drama and all other provinces.
p. 5 the fine Arts, gratifying to see the advancement the Fine Arts, no of connaisseurs sprung spontaneously fr our soil, attained v highest degree of perfection without cultiv of any sort, proof of the immeasurable superiority of natl mind. Am scorns any infringement of the freedom of the individ, perfect right to think as he pleases abt a pic as Pres. Making opinion o fone man of more weight than another is a species of mental aristocracy at variance with our free institutions, in vain did forefathers bleed and die if one of the million, partic one of upper ten thou, stands in mental fear of an aristo of critics. Old prejudices fast passing away, election of artists to adorn our public bldgs. Soon confided to the people at the primaries. Gives example of nouveaux riche in Union Square, his new house and time family in it bathed breakfasted etc the leading article in NY Commercial Humdrum, asks son in Euro to get old masters for $150 for house, in mixture of styles pr Am Composite Style, asks for the usual, real originals. Notes petition of these maecenases that Morse shld be rewarded for telegraph by commission for Rotunda (telegraph wire cartoon) and are much pleased with the unity of design in this great natl hist work of art.
Oct 17 1846 p. 2 Yankee Doodle and the Am Inst: of late had not heard much gd of it, fallen a victim to Fudgeismand Grannyism breaking out all over the country, had a three column notice of the Great Fair. Yankee says you and your cronies puff up Fair of big pumpkins, bribe for granting diplomas and medals to quacks and humbugs with which aid of newsp can deceive and swindle the public, take profits? Visits Fair, a coll of fragments fr shopwindows of Broadway and tumbled together without object or meaning.
Nov 21, 1846 p. 78 Vanderlyn’s Fall Fashions for 1492 (Americanised)
Don’t wonder crowds of upper ten thous and also some of the upper ten hundred male and female throng, must be Great bcause he says it is and Natl bcause Nation pays for it. V has shown knowl of what nation most wanted as well as his learning in doublets, a huge fashion plate for Rotunda, extraord boat in backgrd. Publish their own authentic delineation. Regret his neglect to include the Sherry Cobbler.
Nov 28 p. 89 Young America had mtg in Museum bldg., Webster spoke, Young Whigs had tried to read Yankee Doodle and Courier & Enquirer out of party, YA should not try to do the same
Dec 19 1846 has unfunny caricature of Fancy Painting (artist ptg a pretty girl)