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The Demonstration Yesterday

About This Item

  • Title: The Demonstration Yesterday
  • Date: 19 August 1858
  • Creator(s): Walt Whitman
  • Whitman Archive ID: per.01217
  • Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 19 August 1858: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
  • Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
  • Contributors to digital file: Kaylen Michaelis Thara Michaelis Brandi Faulkner Stefan Schöberlein Karie Cobb
  • Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "The Demonstration Yesterday." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 17 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
  • Source File: per.01217.xml (TEI)
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THE DEMONSTRATION YESTERDAY.

The demonstration yesterday in honor of the successful termination of the grand Telegraphic enterprise, was worthy of the city of Brooklyn and of the occasion which called it forth. That same overflowing spirit of joy and gratulation which has pervaded the whole country throughout its length and breadth since the first few words from the Mother Country electrified the American people, found vent yesterday in our city, in every possible form, from the interchange of kindly and complimentary speeches to the more material demonstrations of bonfire and illuminations—of bell-ringing and cannonading.

We have neither time nor space to-day to enter into any extended disquisition upon the proceedings of yesterday afternoon and evening. It was a spontaneous outbursT of enthusiasm heart-felt by all, participated in by all, and not to be criticised like a formal premeditated celebration and ovation. Suffice it to say, that the City has testified her appreciation of the perseverance, skill and energy of CYRUS W. FIELD1—a name forever hence immortal, and has welcomed with becoming honor and rejoicing her own gallant son, CAPTAIN HUDSON,2 Commander of the "Niagara," of who whose share in this mightiest event of the age every Brooklynite should and does feel honestly proud.

In our own District the people were wide-awake to the exigencies of the occasion, and manifested so far as lay in their power, a degree of spirit in the celebration no way inferior to that of our brethren of the Western portion of our city. We give in another place a descriptive summary of the proceedings, but no reportorial pen could do justice to the universal sentiment of thankfulness of triumph, and of wonder that pervaded every breast.

Notes:

1. Cyrus West Field (1819–1892) was a financier and entrepreneur, whose company laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable in 1858.. [back]

2. William Levereth Hudson (1794–1862) was a Brooklyn-born U.S. Navy officer, whose ship, the Niagara, laid the 1858 transatlantic cable (in cooperation with British ships) [back]

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