Studies in American History 
439 
vote, which had gained over 27,000, cut in heavily on both 
parties, but especially on the Whigs in what had been strong 
Whig counties. In Indiana where the total increase of votes 
since 1844 had been over 11,000, the Free Soilers gained 6,000. 
Indiana, least affected by the northern immigration of the 
past two decades, polled the lowest Free Soil vote of the five 
states. Only in Wayne County did the Free Soilers get one- 
third of the votes, and in only 14 counties did they get 10 
per cent of the total.^^ The Buena Vista controversy and 
state pride in its volunteers in all probability lost the state 
to Taylor. In Illinois the Free Soil party carried Chicago, 
Cook County, and 5 neighboring counties by pluralities and 
received a majority in Lake and Henry. Taylor received 
7,500 more votes than Clay in 1844 and Cass 2,600 fewer than 
Polk.®2 The gain had been largely absorbed by the third party 
which had arisen from 3,433 to 15,774. Wisconsin was the 
banner Free Soil state of the West. Van Buren won 6 counties 
and 26 per cent of the total vote of the state.®^ The Free 
Soil counties, with one exception, lay within the area of 
eastern settlement. Only in Michigan, his home state, was 
Cass’s showing impressive, and in spite of the fact that he 
carried all but 2 counties of the state, he did not get a majority 
of the votes.®^ The Democrats had gained about 3,000, Free 
Soilers 6,700, and the Whigs lost 300 votes since 1844. 
The Whig strength in the Northwest in 1848 was greater 
than would appear by the amount of territory carried, for 
much of the Democratic area was thinly settled. Altho the 
Democrats won the Northwest, the Whigs received the spoils 
of victory and celebrated the national success. Yet this suc- 
cess was, like that of 1840, to be ephemeral; the enemies of 
the party if not its members read its significance aright.®^ 
The vote was: Cass, 74,745; Taylor, 70,207; Van Buren, 8,100. Indiana State 
Journal, December 4 and 19, 1848. 
The vote was: Cass, 56,300; Taylor, 53,047; Van Buren, 15,774. Whig Almanac 
(New York), 1845, p. 62. 
Cass, 15,201 ; Taylor, 13,747 ; Van Buren, 10,418. Sentinel and Gazette (Mil- 
waukee, Wis.), December 7, 1848. 
Cass, 30,687 ; Taylor, 23,940 ; Van Buren, 10,389. Detroit Free Press, January 9, 
1848. 
85 “What is this triumph after all? It transfers place and power from one party 
to the other. That is all. The measures and policy of the Democratic party are 
bound to prevail — they cannot be supplanted with bank, taxation for protection, and 
what not, without a civil revolution. And the cheat of this election, as between Noi’th 
and South, is bound to come to the test — a test and a detection before which the party 
will inevitably go down. The accident by which the Whigs have gained the spoils of 
office, nothing else, in this contest, is a calamity to them, as complete as certain, for 
years hence.” Fi’om Cincinnati Enquirer, in Cincinnati Chronicle, November 23, 1848. 
