Studies in American History 
183 
It is not to be expected that a victory so important in its results, 
so signal and complete, should be passed over without public demonstra- 
tions of joy. It is right that we should rejoice; but let us rejoice like 
men and Christians.®” 
We obtain yet a third view of the situation from a news- 
paper that claimed to be neutral : 
For two years past the most ordinary operations of business have 
been neglected and president-making had become every citizen’s chief 
concern. The result being uncertain, some have been afraid to engage 
in new enterprises, others have retired from business, others have not 
dared to prosecute their business with the old vigor. Millions of dollars 
will now change hands on election bets; millions of days have been taken 
from useful labor to listen to stump orators, and millions more to build 
log-cabins, erect hickory poles, and march in ridiculous, degrading, mob- 
creating processions; millions of dollars have been wasted in soul- and 
body-destroying intemperance, in paying demagogues for preaching trea- 
son and bribing knaves to commit perjury and cast fraudulent votes. 
However high the hopes inspired by the election of General Harrison, 
they will prove to be delusive. A national bank cannot be created; the 
Sub-Treasury cannot be repealed; the momentary expansion and specula- 
tion which the hope of these measures will create will be quickly followed 
by contractions, by ruin, and the prostration of the speculators.®^ 
Such as the above were the typical comments, by Demo- 
cratic, Whig, and neutral journals, respectively, on the out- 
come of the notable campaign and election of 1840. In 
general, it may be said that the Democrats were chagrined 
and angered, the Whigs jubilant and optimistic, and the 
neutrals skeptical or even pessimistic over the actual results 
of the election. 
To contemporaries, the victory of 1840 seemed like a com- 
plete political revolution. It was the first time, in fact, since 
1800 that there had been a real victory of an opposition over 
a well-organized administration party; for tho the election 
of Jackson in 1828 was of great significance, Adams elected 
to the presidency from the Cabinet of Monroe had had no 
well-organized party to support him. But the election of 1840 
was, after all, less significant than it seemed to be. The 
popular majority of Harrison in most of the states was small, 
and, for the whole Union, in an aggregate of over 2,400,000 
votes, it was less than 150,000. The congressional elections 
gave the Whigs a majority of 44 in the House and 7 in the 
Senate — enough to carry out a program if the people were 
Newark Gazette, quoted in McMaster, op. cit., VI, 591. 
Public Ledger (Philadelphia), quoted in McMaster, op> cit., VI, 592. 
