| Power is always stealing from the many to the few. | |
 Front page of the United States Telegraph Extra for March 1, 1828 | |
| Type | Various, including daily, triweekly, and weekly |
|---|---|
| Publisher |
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| Founded |
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| Political alignment | Jacksonian (1826-1831) Anti-Jacksonian (1831-1837) |
| Language | American English |
| Ceased publication | 1837 |
| City | Washington City, D.C. |
| OCLC number | 2268926 |
The United States' Telegraph was a Washington, D.C. newspaper published during the early 19th century. It was first published in 1814 as the Washington City Gazette by Jonathan Elliot, but ceased publication the same year due to the Burning of Washington. It was revived the following year as the Washington City Weekly Gazette, and advocated strongly for William H. Crawford's 1816 candidacy for presidency. The unsuccessful Crawford was appointed as Secretary of War, and granted Elliot lucrative printing contracts, allowing funding for its reissue as a daily publication titled the City of Washington Gazette.
In 1826, Elliot sold the paper to John Silva Meehan, acting on behalf of a coalition of Andrew Jackson supporters seeking a friendly newspaper in Washington. Meehan renamed the paper the United States' Telegraph, and begun issuing it in daily, triweekly, and weekly editions. Although Meehan was strongly opposed to the administration of President John Quincy Adams, Jackson allies considered him unable to mount a full challenge to the administration. Missouri Jacksonian Duff Green was appointed as editor, and gradually took control of the paper over the remainder of 1826. Duff adopted an intensely partisan stance, incorporating crude humor and vehement attacks and accusations against Jackson's opponents. The Telegraph saw wide circulation both in D.C. and across the United States, serving as a key component of the nationwide network of pro-Jackson papers. Despite this expansion, funding remained a persistent worry for Green and the Telegraph.
Following his election in 1828, the Telegraph briefly became the primary organ of Jackson's administration. The paper continued its attacks against Anti-Jacksonians, including various opposition newspapers and former Secretary of State Henry Clay. Green, a staunch supporter of John C. Calhoun, followed the Vice President into opposition against Jackson in 1831. The paper took an increasingly enthusiastic pro-slavery position over the course of the 1830s, with pro-slavery advocacy becoming a primary focus of the paper by 1835. Green left active editorship in favor of other business concerns, and appointed Richard Kenner Crallé as chief editor in 1836. Citing "indispensable engagements", Green cancelled the paper in February 1837. It was succeeded by Crallé's triweekly Reformer, which itself ceased publication several months later, publishing its last issue on April 29, 1837.
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