hig and, naturally the Whig Party of Massachusetts
sympathized with him. Gen. H. A. S. Dearborn, who had been an officer
in the War of 1812, was then Adjutant-General of Massachusetts. In his
haste to aid Governor King, he loaned to him quite a quantity of
muskets from the State Arsenal. This act caused great criticism and
contributed to the overthrow of the Whig Party in 1842, if it did not
in fact cause it. Dorr had organized a government, under a
constitution which had been ratified by such of the people of Rhode
Island as chose to vote upon it. The Dorr legislature assembled, a
military force was organized, and the State seemed to be on the eve of
a bloody contest.

Governor King appealed for aid to President Tyler. The President
recognized Governor King as the head of the lawful government of the
State, and although the aid was not granted, the Dorr Rebellion came
to an end. The courts followed the political department of the
government, and the attempt of Dorr and his associates was a failure in
fact and in law. The failure was followed, however, by the adoption of
a constitution from which the most objectionable features of the
Charter were removed.

In 1842 Massachusetts was living under the majority system. The
Abolitionists placed a candidate in nomination. As a consequence there
was no election of Governor by the people. The Democrats succeeded in
obtaining a majority of the Senators elected. The House was about
equally divided between the Whigs and the Democrats, and the balance of
power was in the hands of four Abolitionists, who were led by one Lewis
Williams of Easton. Williams was a sort of personage for ten or
twelve days, when he disappeared from public view.

In the contest for Speaker the Democrats supported Seth J. Thomas, of
Charlestown, and the Whigs nominated Thomas Kinnicutt, of Worcester,
who had held the office of Speaker in 1842. The Abolitionists voted
for Williams. The struggle continued for two days without a result.
On the third day Mr. Kinnicutt withdrew his name, and his friends
presented the name of Daniel P. King, of Danvers.

Mr. Thomas made a short speech in which he said that he was in the
hands of his friends. The Democrats attempted to change front, and
to secure the election of Williams. The attempt failed, and Mr. King
was elected. Mr. King was a man of moderate abilities, but he had made
himself acceptable to the voting element of the Anti-Slavery Party.