Studies in American History 
123 
assured her that the call must be made before the election, 
else his motives would be misconstrued.^ In the end, South 
Carolina cast her vote for Van Buren. 
The “Conservatives” were those Democrats who had for- 
saken Van Buren because of his Sub-Treasury Scheme. They 
maintained a separate organization, but acted with the Whigs. 
Most of them were later re-absorbed into the Democratic 
party. The chief men of this group were Rives and Garland 
of Virginia, Tallmadge and John C. Clark of New York, Le- 
gare of South Carolina, and F. 0. J. Smith of Maine.^° 
The Whigs gladly welcomed these new men and often re- 
warded them by giving them the highest offices and the most 
prominent positions. Rives of Virginia and Tallmadge of 
New York were elected to the United States Senate. 
It is questionable whether they added any strength to the 
Whig party. As a rule, they were not in accord with that 
party on other matters than the Bank policy. Jackson thought 
they would do less harm outside the Democratic party than 
they would in it if they continued opposing its measures. 
The old Federal element of the party did not receive them 
so warmly. Hone thought the Federalists and old National 
Republicans were left out too much. 
Federalist or National Republican, — they are permitted to work 
and pay money; they must bake the loaves and catch the fishes, but 
they get precious few of them for themselves .... yet some of us 
who have borne “the heat and burden of the day” are entitled at least, 
one would think, to as good “a penny” as the eleventh hour man.^^ 
Seward thought some of the Whigs were too cool toward 
the new converts while others were overenthusiastic toward 
them. At a Whig convention, a recent convert was usually 
made chairman, and at a Whig celebration a new man was 
generally the chief speaker. It was these things that the 
older party members resented. The chief value of the “Con- 
servatives” in the election of 1840 came from the enthusiasm 
they produced. They were widely advertised to show that 
the Democratic party was breaking up. Several of them 
were strong campaign speakers, which made them especially 
effective in this campaign. 
^Ihid., 446, 447. 
^0 Sargent, Public Men and Events, II, 86. 
John Bassett Moore (ed.). The Works of James Buchanan (Philadelphia, 1908), 
III, 338. 
Bayard Tuckerman (ed.). The Diary of Philip Hone (New York, 1887), I, 328. 
