Tim Lawlor writes:
(1) The dress that Buchanan is wearing is a "housedress", one that a woman would do housework in.
(2) Buchanan is speaking in an Irish woman accent.
(3) Raymond and Bennet are shown to be wearing very elegant dresses, that a woman would wear to a ball or gala. The beards are influenced so much to show that these men are actually men, creating a type of humor while looking at the cartoon.
(4) It seems that the two men are flirting with Buchanan to get on his "good side", proving that they are in fact coquettes. Even the way that the fan is pointed towards Buchanan is creating a flirty type expression.
(5) Buchanan is portrayed as this type of woman to show that he was not going to let anyone or anything get in his way of governing the country.
(6) The characteristics of the Biddy go from being terrible to having people squirming under her powerful and "tough" foot.
(7) Mrs. Bridget O'Flarety is sitting because she is being portrayed as royalty or a leader of some kind. Mr. Jones is gazing down upon her because he is humble before her, not looking her directly in the eyes. His hat is in his hand to show he is a true gentleman.
(8) You would present someone when you meet a person of great importance, like a king, queen or president.
(9) Portraying important leaders of that time while wearing womans clothes does not seem to take any respect away from those women or their professions. The cartoons express Buchanan and LIncoln as school teachers who were for the most part women. These cartoons are joking at the Presidents, not the women whom jobs they are acting.
(10) As we said in class, most southern states names are female names, so portraying them as females should not make any difference. With womens names should come female representation.

Rich Feeley writes:
1.) The dress appears to be a house one, one that would be worn while doing chores, one that would be consistent with the working class women.
2.) It is a brogue (Irish origin).
3.) The two gentlemen appear in the cartoon wearing evening gowns, ones consistent with upper class/high class. They also "sport" beards, symbolizing a possible contradiction between the two sexes (beard=male?).
4.) The style of dress alludes to the nature of a coquette, a woman who might be "flirting" with Pres. Buchanan. The two men are trying to "sell" their particular papers to the prospective "buyer". They wish to be the organ for the regime in office. They are trying to pursue those who have the most power.
5.) "This sort of woman" was one that seemed to be one who expressed ideas concerning what was/is right and proper. An Irish woman was independent, proper, and seemed to have a calling for this particular situation.
6.) The distinguishing characteristics exuded by Biddy included loyalty as well as someone who was hard working, independent, strong, tough and most of all stubborn (not even the devil was going to stop her-dedicated).
7.) Biddy is sitting because she is the one who seems to be "controlling" society in a weird sort of way. She is the one doing the work, she is key to society. She resembles a king, one who is a decision maker of sorts. She seems to be the one interviewing, seeing what her "employers" are like. Mr. Jones appears as an interviewee, if you will. He is in such a physical state that this is the understanding that is reached (possibly a suggestion of obedience or even reverence). The fourth individual in the cartoon seems to be "waiting in the wings" someone who is possibly waiting in line to be "interviewed" by Biddy next.
8.) The act of presenting someone is usually reserved for monarchial situations (kings and queens). This further reinforces the concept of who might be "in charge" in this particular situation (who is playing the role of interviewer and interviewee).
9.) In understanding the national sentiment towards the two presidents and their actions, one would have to say yes, they are correct portrayals of the two men and how their regimes were perceived. As the country further spiraled down into chaos, Buchanan was held responsible for its lack of cohesiveness (he was not a strong, unifying leader and was portrayed so in this particular cartoon). Lincoln's presidency coincided with the secession of the southern states (including South Carolina). The cartoon exemplifies what the nation (at least the "union to be's" view) of the social and political situation in the 1860's. School-mistresses are or rather were intrinsic parts of society and they seemed to be a unifying part of it as well. The role that they played in shaping and controlling so much of society seems to be an appropriate relationship for it. The presidents have extremely difficult jobs and it is tough to expect everything from them, but by "womanizing" them, one can see that they are human as well.
10.) It makes sense, although I can't be sure as to the general feelings of the 1860's in the United States, but women had begun to make a move in society, where there were previously considered docile creatures, reserved within society, but now they were becoming more and more independent. This is exemplified in cartoons (women portrayed as stepping up, rebellious and disrupting social norms).