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Indiana University 
bottom, the southern half of the state returned Van Buren 
majorities, and in each of 11 of the counties the Whig vote 
was about one-third of the total. Van Buren’s unpopularity 
caused considerable defection from the Democratic following 
of earlier days, but this loss was more than balanced by the 
vote of the foreigners, especially along the lines of the Illinois 
and Michigan Canal. The Mormons supported Harrison, 
but the political controversy over the ousting of A. P. Field 
from the office of secretary of state had handicapped the 
Whigs in the election. 
The Democratic party, so long dominant, found it difficult 
to take defeat gracefullj^ It tried to make believe that it 
had been assailed with unusual virulence, and that bankers' 
gold, perjury, slander, falsehood, moral debasement, corrup- 
tion, and the new-fangled paraphernalia of coon skins, cider, 
and “pipe laying" attacks had proved too much for an honest 
party fighting for its dearly-bought principles with argument 
and reason. It wasn’t the defeat but the degradation and 
violation of the people by the Whigs that hurt. It was 
ridiculous to suppose that the people preferred the principles 
of federalism to those of democracy. They had merely been 
cheated out of their rights and misled. They had passed 
upon no great measure or issue, but were stimulated by 
promises of a golden harvest and desire for a change. The 
charm of novelty and fancy of the imagination had eclipsed 
the understanding and overwhelmed reason and judgment. 
The moneyed monopolies had prevailed, and if the Democrats 
had in the past skirmished against the Bank, it would now 
be war to the knife and the knife to the hilt. It remained 
only to organize for a long fight and the final prostration of 
the infernal system would be achieved.®^ 
The Whig victory of 1840 in the Northwest was one of 
sentiment over issues. The pageantry and feasts exemplified 
the spirit of an era of conquest in the West; they com- 
memorated the hardship and sacrifices of the past and hope- 
fully heralded the return of the good pioneer virtues to politics. 
It marked the overthrow of the Democratic party of Jefferson 
and Jackson in the West, for it was the last election over 
“In the meantime let us sit as quietly under the national disgrace of an old 
granny president as possible. Sad and sickening as is the fact, that an old dotard, 
a man almost drivelling with age, and besotted with vanity has by the most foul and 
disgraceful means attained to the elevated office of President of this republic, let us 
bear it patiently.” Cleveland Advertiser, in Ohio Statesman (semi-weekly) , November 
17 , 1840 . 
