The Political Death of the Bogus Cæsar

Nast stages the assassination of Julius Caesar as Republican Reconstruction triumph. A body lies sprawled at lower left—the fallen "Bogus Cæsar"—while toga-clad senators raise arms in exultation before a statue of Justice holding scales. A placard on the left column reads "TREASON IS A CRIME AND MUST BE PUNISHED." The bottom captions quote Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "Liberty! Freedom! Tyranny is dead!" and call on bystanders to proclaim it in the streets. Published weeks into Grant's presidency, Nast depicts Radical Republican victory over Southern treason personified as an imperial pretender. The classical staging presents Reconstruction as civic virtue, with Justice presiding over the conspirators' vindication.