package on the wires,
and called to his friends to see it whisked away by lightning; while
many opposed the apparent experimenting with the electric fluid, which
they believed would work all sorts of mischief. Nevertheless, the
patient toilers kept at work, often stopped by accident, and in the face
of all manner of opposition. The first line was laid underground, and,
as has been shown, carried the news of Polk's nomination for the
presidency to Washington.

Professor Morse was in Washington, and the first message was dictated by
Annie Ellsworth, March 28, 1844, and received by Alfred Vail, forty
miles away in Baltimore. It consisted of the words, "What hath God
wrought?" and the telegram is now in the possession of the Connecticut
Historical Society. It may be said that since then the earth has been
girdled by telegraph lines, numbers of which pass under the ocean,
uniting all nations and the uttermost extremities of the world.

In the preceding pages we have done little more than give the results of
the various presidential campaigns. The two leading political parties
were the Whigs and the Democrats, and many of the elections were of
absorbing interest, not only to the participants, but to the country at
large. Several were distinguished by features worthy of permanent
record, since they throw valuable light upon the times, now forgotten,
and were attended in many instances by far-reaching results.

It seems proper, therefore, that a chapter should be devoted to the most
important presidential campaigns preceding and including one of the most
memorable--that of 1840--often referred to as the "hard cider
campaign."

[Illustration: CAMPAIGN SPEECHMAKING IN EARLIER DAYS.]

[Illustration: OLD GATES AT ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA.]

CHAPTER XII.

FAMOUS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS PREVIOUS TO 1840.

The Origin of the "Caucus"--The Election of 1792--The First Stormy
Election--The Constitution Amended--Improvement of the Method of
Nominating Presidential Candidates--The First Presidential
Convention--Convention in Baltimore in 1832--Exciting Scenes--The
Presidential Campaign of 1820--"Old Hickory"--Andrew Jackson's
Popularity--Jackson Nominated--"Old Hickory" Defeated--The "Log-Cabin"
and "Hard-Cider" Campaign of 1840--"Tippecanoe and Tyler Too"--Peculiar
Feature of the Harrison Campaign.

The presidential nominating convention is a modern institution. In the
early days of the Republic a very different method was