The Wasp — 1879 — page 686: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a commemorative piece rather than a satirical cartoon. It's a tribute page honoring Decoration Day (now Memorial Day), featuring an allegorical female figure with a flag and laurel wreath at the top. The lengthy text is a patriotic meditation on Civil War sacrifice, explicitly referencing **Abraham Lincoln**. It calls for remembrance of the fallen, universal suffering and forgiveness, and peaceful reconciliation between North and South. The concluding poem emphasizes honoring the dead across all sides—"Indiscriminately—they were all your own!"—suggesting the piece advocates moving beyond sectional bitterness toward national unity through shared grief. This reflects post-war reconciliation rhetoric common in late 19th-century American publications.