Liberty Ball

DESCRIPTION: "Come aid the poor slave's liberation ... Democrats come to the rescue ... Whigs forsake slavery's minions ... roll on the liberty ball"
AUTHOR: Words attributed to Jesse Hutchinson in Silber-SongsOfTheCivilWar
EARLIEST DATE: 1856 (Thompson-APioneerSongster)
KEYWORDS: slavery nonballad political
FOUND IN: US(MA)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Silber-SongsOfTheCivilWar, p. 98, "The Liberty Ball" (1 text, tune referenced)
Thompson-APioneerSongster 60, "Liberty Ball" (1 text)
Roud #2831
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Rosin the Beau" (tune) and references there
NOTES [128 words]: It is more than a little ironic to find this song, about Whigs and Democrats, in a book compiled in 1856 -- the very year in which the Whig party ceased to be a political force and the new Republican party arose. In the pre-Republican era, the Whigs and Democrats both had room for pro- and anti-slavery members. In 1856, the Republicans were entirely for limiting slavery -- which pushed the Democrats to become pro-slavery. So, in that year, there was no point in appealing to both sides on the issue.
Equally interesting is the fact that the Pioneer Songster's version includes words not in the Silber-SongsOfTheCivilWar version. It would appear the song had a significant life in tradition. Indeed, I almost wonder if one version wasn't a deliberate rewrite. - RBW
Last updated in version 3.2
File: TPS060

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