and the abolition of the slave trade in the District of Columbia. Before the presidential campaign of 1852 opened, the Whigs found that the North, of necessity, aided the slavery issue. The Compromise Bills had removed many of their grievances. Their own platform conceded that the main causes of their contentions had been removed by legislation. Thereafter their existence was without justification. They split

into factions, and, finally, in 1854, the Whig leaders, and the rank and file of the party, became absorbed in other organizations.

LOCO-FOCO PARTY

This name was first given by the Whig press to the anti-Monopolists, or "Equal Rights" branch, of the Democratic party in New York, in 1835. Members of this faction used lucifer matches, known as "loco-foco" matches, to relight the lights extinguished at an evening assemblage at Tammany Hall of an opposing faction, when the leaders of that faction desired to break up the meeting. For a time Democrats generally were referred to as "Loco-Focos."

ANTI-RENTERS

This party originated in the dissatisfaction of the tenantry on the Van Rensselaer estate in New York State. Disputes as to the possessor's right of title and claim of rents, started in 1795, were revived in 1839 on the death of Stephen Van Rensselaer, when an attempt was made to collect arrears of rental from the tenantry. The "anti-Renters" became an organized political body in the state. The movement was upheld by the Seward wing of the Whig party and the "Barn-burners," a section of the Democratic party in New York state. The movement resulted in a revision of the state Constitution of 1846, Sections

12-15 of Act I being added, abolishing all feudal tenures and converting the leases of tenants into freeholds.

LIBERTY PARTY

The Abolitionists had a single plank platform in 1839, declaring the necessity for a new party. They founded the Liberty party in 1840, at a national convention at Albany, New York. Many Whigs and Democrats joined. The party stood for the immediate abolition of slavery and claimed equal rights. They protested against the Fugitive Slave clause of the Constitution. James J. Birney was nominated for the presidency. He received 7,059 votes at the election. Birney was renominated in 1843, and received 62,300 votes at the presidential election of 1844. The Liberty party, or abolition vote, in New York in that year being chiefly a defection from Henry Clay, caused Clay's defeat for the presidency. In 1847, John P. Hale was nominated for the office of Chief Executive, but the party subsequently withdrew his name, the members going over to the FreeSoil party, organized in 1848.

NATIVE AMERICAN PARTY

This party seems to have been the forerunner of the American, or Know-Nothing party, of 1852. It was organized in 1843, as a result of a great inflow of foreigners into New York City. The leading ideas of the organization were opposition to Roman Catholicism and the election of aliens to office. The members of the party were usually spoken of as "Natives."

HUNKERS

This name was given in 1844 to a faction of the Democratic party in New York, led by William L.

Marcy, and representing the pro-slavery wing of the party. The "Hunkers" (from the Dutch word honk, meaning "home"), rivals of the "Barn-burners," attended the national Democratic convention of 1848. Each wing sent a delegation. The name "Old Hunkers" was given by the radicals to the conservatives.

BARN-BURNERS

That faction of the Democratic party in New York (1844-'48), led by Silas Wright, and representing the anti-slavery or radical wing of the party. The origin of the name is in some doubt, although there is good authority for the assertion that it sprang from the conduct of undisciplined followers of Thomas W. Dorr, of Rhode Island, who organized a rebellion in that state in 1841, against the provisions of an old English charter, whereby property qualifications were necessary in order to vote. Dorr's followers were strongly condemned by the conservative people of Rhode Island, and described, because of their lawlessness, as "robbers, rioters, incendiaries, barn-burners." Later, the "Hunkers" of New York, in retaliation for the contemptuous name given them by their opponents, the radicals, declared them at every opportunity to be "barn-burners," or reckless law-breakers. In June, 1848, the "Barn-burners" held a Democratic convention at Utica, New York, and nominated Martin Van Buren for the presidency. In August of the same year most of the "Barn-burners" joined the new Free-Soil party, which placed Van Buren in nomination.

LIBERTY-LEAGUE

This name was given to members of the Liberty party of 1840 who disagreed with the main body of their party. After a convention of the Liberty party,

in 1845, a number of its adherents separated. In 1847 they met in convention and nominated Gerrit Smith for the presidency. They proclaimed slavery to be unconstitutional, and had for their watchword "Duty is ours, results are God's." The records do not show a vote in behalf of Smith at the presidential election of 1848.

FREE-SOIL PARTY

This organization was formed in 1848, from the Liberty or Abolition party, anti-slavery Democrats and anti-slavery Whigs. The anti-slavery movement brought it into existence. Eventually it was merged in the Republican party. By many this latter party is considered as the outcome of the FreeSoil party's activity. Van Buren, nominated as Free-Soil candidate in 1848, received 291,263 votes. In 1852 John P. Hale received the nomination. He received 156,149 votes. In 1854 the anti-slavery Whigs and anti-slavery Democrats formed a coalition without a common name. The Free-Soil party as such thus came to an end.

SILVER GRAYS

The Whigs of New York who supported the Fillmore administration, in 1850, deeming the slavery question settled by the compromise measures passed by Congress in that year, were called "Silver Grays," because most of them were men of somewhat advanced age whose hair was white. At the Whig state convention at Syracuse, in September, 1850, a split took place, friends of the President protesting against a resolution praising Senator Seward. They called a meeting during October at Utica, threw off Whig allegiance and formed the "Silver Gray" party, unequivocally upholding President Fillmore's policy.

With the disappearance of the Whig factions in 1854, the "Silver Grays" became extinct.

KNOW-NOTHING OR AMERICAN PARTY

This party was suddenly formed, in 1852, from members of other parties who were not in sympathy with indiscriminate foreign immigration. They advocated more stringent naturalization laws, aimed to exclude from office those of foreign birth, and protested against the efforts then being made to exclude the Bible from the public schools. The name originated from the fact that the leaders and members of the party when asked for some details of their work or purposes, usually declared that they knew nothing of any proposed plans.

The platform of the party contained the following sentiments: The Americans shall rule America. The states shall be united. No North, No South, No East, No West. No sectarian interference in legislation or in the administration of American law. Hostility to the assumptions of the Pope, though the hierarchy and priesthood, in a republic. Thorough reform in the naturalization laws. Free and liberal educational institutions for all sects and classes, with the Bible as a textbook.

The Know-Nothings nominated Millard Fillmore for president, in 1856. He received eight electoral votes, Buchanan (Democrat) receiving 1,741, and Fremont one hundred and fourteen. The popular vote cast for him was 874,538. In 1860, the party became merged in the Constitutional Union party.

DOUGLAS DEMOCRATS

The Democrats of Northern states who agreed with the views of Stephen A. Douglas, when the party divided in 1860 on the slavery issue, were de