Genre:

News-Commentary, Drollery; Illustration, Drollery

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Illustrators:

J L *

Subjects:

Nationalism, War, Animal Behaviour, Human Species, Human Development, Race, Mental Illness, Cultural Geography

    Begins by presenting an extract from the Irish nationalist newspaper, Nation, which, in 'anticipation of a war between this country and America', relishes the prospect of the English being defeated as they were at Fontenoy (in 1745, by the French) and avenged for their ruthless treatment of the Irish, and hopes for the establishment of an independent Ireland. Punch then presents its 'portrait of the Author', which shows him, a gorilla, sitting at a desk on which rests a copy of the Nation and a paper marked 'TREASON'. Behind him stands a police officer about to place a dunce's hat on the author's head. The caption affirms Punch's connection between subversive Irish nationalists and gorillas which, following the controversial claims of Paul B Du Chaillu, are both presented as 'savage'. The caption identifies the author as a 'Mr. G-O'Rilla, the Young Ireland Party, exulting over the insult to the British Flag', and asks: 'Shouldn't he be extinguished at once?'.

See also:

PU1/40/19/4