He had pursued the most unwise course in dealing with the New-York Democracy, and had for himself hopelessly divided the party.

He made the great blunder of not recognizing the strength and leadership of Van Buren and Silas Wright.

He had been led to distrust them, had always felt aggrieved that Wright refused to run on his ticket as Vice-President, and was annoyed by the fact that, as candidate for governor, Wright received several thousand votes more than the electoral ticket which represented his own fortunes.

This fact came to him in a manner which deeply impressed it upon his memory.

At that time, before railroad or telegraph had hastened the transmission of news beyond the Alleghanies, Mr.
Polk in his Tennessee home was in an agony of doubt as to the result in New York.