The impulsive trifling of President Jackson with the finances of the country, which at that time was supposed to throw a halo around his inflexible will and courage, brought upon his successor, through the troubles which in his administration the people were made to suffer, an obloquy and blame which Mr. Van Buren did not individually deserve.

The fact that the Democratic majority in the county was reduced from over one thousand two hundred in 1836 to two hundred and seventy in 1840 shows, making all allowances for the humors of the " logcabin and hard cider " campaign, that a deliberate, sober, first and second thought of the people was making Mr. Van Buren and his great party eat the bread of affliction. From this time for some years the two parties were more closely matched. In fact the lines of both were much disturbed. The questions of the Tariff and Internal improvement were those which divided the professed politicians, but personal preferences and antipathies in certain divisions and localities were confounding plans and calculations. The advent, too, of a secret political organization, styled Native American, which had in the several towns a large following, was very unsettling as to the county and town nominations and elections. To be added to all this was the dissensions which sprang up as the question of the extension of slavery was discussed. As a consequence, the majority of Mr. Polk in the county over Mr. Clay was still less than that of his party four years before.