out of the Wigwam some of their most valued members, a number of whom did, indeed, return after the war, while others were permanently lost to the organization.

It is worth noting, in this connection, that all the territory added to the United States since the adoption of the Constitution had been acquired under Democratic administrations, except Alaska.* So that we are justified in the logical conclusion that, but for Democratic energy and foresight, the country to-day would still consist only of the original thirteen States, with the addition of the semi-Russianized peninsula in the North Pacific Ocean. The Whig party fought against the admission of the lands acquired from Mexico, which included Texas and California, just as the old Federalists contended against Jefferson's purchase of Louisiana, the boundaries of which then included all the States generally spoken of as "the great Northwest."

During this exciting period a powerful auxiliary to the political power of Tammany Hall existed in an association called the "Empire Club." Its president and leader was the "undaunted" Isaiah Rynders, who first acquired local fame by his energetic and effectual work in the Presidential campaign preceding the election of James K. Polk. This club had rooms at 28 Park Row, and there never were livelier times around the polls in New York than during the Rynders régime. He continued as active leader of a powerful following for many years, giving his best efforts to the election of Franklin Pierce in 1852 and Buchanan in '56. He was one of the muscular genus, and did not hesitate to repel force by force if the circumstances called for it. Mr. Rynders was appointed Marshal for the Southern District of New York in 1857.

* Up to date of the late war with Spain.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE FREE SOIL MOVEMENT.

URING the political turmoil which preceded the war of secession the Tammany Society planted itself on strictly constitutional ground repudiating the "higher law" doctrine of the anti-slavery party. To the Tammany adherents the law of the land was the law to be recognized, which brought upon them the newly invented sobriquet of "old hunkers;" and this elegant term was applied as well to all of the Democratic party who ventured to defend the constitutional rights as guaranteed in the original compact of the States, the Constitution, at that time clearly recognizing the existence of slavery in several of the States. These conservative politicians held that the Government had no right to infringe Article 4th of the Constitution, and in the 3d clause of Section 2, the rendition of escaping slaves was specially provided for; hence the hunkers did not wince, nor were their ethics disturbed, when the famous compromise measures of 1850 included the return of fugitive slaves. But sentiment and humanity proved stronger than constitutional provisions, and the whole of the decade between 1850 and 1860 may be said to have been consumed in discussing the subject of slavery by one party and in devising schemes to suppress its discussion by others.

As this episode in American politics has been treated by many able writers. from almost every possible point of view, we do not think it necessary to give here opinions on a subject which is now a dead issue, any further than is called for, to show Tammany's position in the preliminary political skirmishes which affected the membership of the Society as well as its influence in the community. In the National Democratic Convention of 1848, which met at Baltimore on May 22d of that year, two delegations, each calling themselves "regular," put in their claims to recognition, the party being divided into two factions known as "hunkers" and "barnburners." The hunkers were affiliated with the Tammany party, and were thus designated by their opponents as resembling the Bourbons, of whom it is alleged they neither learn anything nor forget anything. The "barnburners," who eventually merged into the Free soil party, were thus named because the old conservatives likened them to the farmer who burned down his barn to get rid of the rats, the hunkers believing that those so zealous to get rid of slavery were in danger of destroying the Union at the same time.

The divisions of the Democratic party which grew out of these slavery discussions were intensified by the tenacity with which the "barnburner" wing kept its loyalty to the fortunes of Martin Van Buren, who, as stated above, had been sidetracked in the National Convention in 1844 in favor of James K. Polk, who was elected over the Whig nominee, Henry Clay, by the electoral vote of 170 to 105. The admission of Texas had been effected under President Polk's administration in 1845; but the struggle over it had left bitter feelings, still active in minds of the barnburner Democrats, who shortly after assumed the name of Free

Soilers. The body calling itself the State Democracy met in convention at Syracuse on the 29th of September and remained in session until the 2d of October, 1847, this being the hunker wing of the party.

This body issued an address which proved very displeasing to the Van Buren, or barnburner faction, which incontenintly seceded and called a counter convention, which was first appointed to be held on the 22d of February, 1848. but the date was afterward changed to the 16th of the same month. Selecting their old favorite, Van Buren, as their candidate for President, though he had been beaten in the popular vote of 1840 and rejected by the National Convention of 1844, they still succeeded in drawing off so large a number from the regular organization as to greatly weaken it before the people.

The hunkers met this movement by a call to their followers to meet at Albany on the 26th of January, 1848, where they matured plans for the selection of candidates to represent their views at the National Convention, which body was to meet at Baltimore in May. The unwisdom of division was soon made apparent. The Committee on Credentials proposed to the leaders that both wings of the party from New York should promise to abide peaceably by the decision of the committee and support the nominee of the convention, whoever he might prove to be. The Tammany men agreed to this, but the barnburners would not. Then the committee agreed to admit both factions on equal terms, but still the barnburners were obdurate and finally they withdrew from the convention; and the hunkers, considering themselves insulted by being considered as no better than mere barnburners, though they kept their seats in the convention, took no part in the proceedings. Thus New York's electoral vote for Lewis Cass, the nominee of the convention, was lost, and with it the Presidency for the ensuing four years, the Whig candidate, General Taylor, being elected.

In 1856 there was another disastrous schism, the Democratic party being now divided between the "Hards" and the "Softs." New York's electoral vote was again lost. The separate delegations, each having an equal number of votes, neutralized each other.

THE WIGWAM FROM 1812 TO 1867 ON THE SITE OF THE PRESENT "SUN" BUILDING, CORNER OF FRANKFORT AND NASSAU STS.