The American Republican and Baltimore Daily Clipper was a newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland in the mid-1800s. The paper supported slavery but opposed Confederate secession in the American Civil War, based on the premise that it would be possible to maintain slavery under the Union.[1]
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History
editThe American Republican and Baltimore Daily Clipper began as a daily newspaper titled, the Baltimore Clipper, on September 7, 1839, by John H. Hewitt & Co., editors and proprietors.[2] A weekly edition of the paper, The Ocean, began on June 27, 1840.[3] The name of the paper was briefly changed to American Republican from 1844 to 1847 to reflect its stance as a voice for the newly formed Know-Nothing Party.[2][4] The paper reflected a nativist perspective advocating restrictions on immigration [5][6][7] and endorsed John Bell, the Constitutional Union Party candidate in the 1860 presidential election. Throughout the Civil War, however, the paper was Republican in politics and supported the administration and reelection of Abraham Lincoln.[4] In addition to local news, the Clipper reported on national news such as the inauguration of President James K. Polk,[8][9] the annexation of Texas,[10] the Bear Flag revolt and military occupation of California,[11] the signing of the Oregon Treaty,[12] the Mexican-American War, and the Great Fire of Pittsburgh.[13][14]
Upon a change of ownership, the Clipper ceased production on September 30, 1865, to become the Baltimore Daily Commercial on October 2, 1865.[15] Publishers William Wales & Co. described the Commercial as a "mercantile and political journal... to be devoted mainly to the growing interests of Maryland, in every department of commerce and industry" and "independent of cliques or parties."[16] This focus on Maryland interests extended to publishing national news including Reconstruction, the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment and the abolition of slavery, and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Looking abroad, the Daily Commercial also reported on the Fenian movement for Irish independence and the 1863-1875 European cholera pandemic.[4]
The title of the paper changed again to The Daily Commercial in December 1867, succeeded by The Evening Commercial in March 1868. Each paper appeared six days a week, excepting Sundays.[17][18] The Evening Commercial ceased publication in 1869 following the sale of publishers William Wales & Company to the Democratic Association of Baltimore.[4] William Hinson Cole and Edward M. Yerger purchased the Commercial and began printing the Evening Journal on September 4, 1871. In 1875, the Journal was purchased by Frederick Raine of the German-language newspaper Der Deutsche Correspondent, and discontinued.[3][4]
References
edit- ^ Bart Lee Rhett Talbert, "Maryland in the war between the states: A lesson in the struggle for American freedom"; PhD dissertation at the University of Alabama, submitted 1996. "The factions within the Constitutional Unionist framework had a tenuous allegiance at best. The feelings for Lincoln ranged from abhorrence by the conservatives to the belief by the moderates that he would be amicable to the South if elected. Yet the voice of this moderate group, the Baltimore Daily Clipper, also came out strongly for the South and slavery. The paper opposed secession while reporting that 'thirty thousand native born voters uphold slavery'" (p. 38)."
- ^ a b Leigh, William, Jr. "The Press of Baltimore." In Baltimore: Its History and Its People, edited by Clayton Colman Hall, 702-14. New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1912. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=vCy9GAlzntAC.
- ^ a b Scharf, John Thomas. History of Baltimore City and County, from the Earliest Period to the Present Day: Including Biographical Sketches of their Representative Men. Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts, 1881. https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=6tF4AAAAMAAJ.
- ^ a b c d e "About American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846". Chronicling America. Library of Congress.
- ^ "Elective Franchise". American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. No. November 23, 1844. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "Criminals and Paupers". American Republican and Baltimore Daily Clipper. No. January 16, 1845. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "Naturalized Citizens". American Republican and Baltimore Daily Clipper. No. September 13, 1845. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "Mr. Polk's Inaugural Address". American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. No. March 4, 1845. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "The Inauguration". American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. No. March 4, 1845. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "Mexico". American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. No. December 29, 1845. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "California". American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. No. September 4, 1846. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "The Oregon Treaty". American Republican and Baltimore Clipper. No. June 16, 1846. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "Awful Calamity! City of Pittsburgh in Ruins!". American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. No. April 14, 1845. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "Incendiaries at Pittsburgh". American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. No. May 21, 1845. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "About Baltimore daily commercial. (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ "Baltimore Daily Commercial". Baltimore daily commercial. No. October 7, 1865. Baltimore, Md.: Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress.
- ^ "About The daily commercial. (Baltimore [Md.]) 1867-1868". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
- ^ "About The evening commercial. (Baltimore [Md.]) 1868-18??". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
External links
edit- Newspaper page at Library of Congress Chronicling America project.