The n0nninati0n 0f General Harris0n raised quite an excitennent thr0ugh0utthe entire c0untry. Even in Dearb0rn, what few Whigs there were in thet0wn united as 0ne nnan, entered up0n the cannpaign and banded thennselvest0gether t0 w0rk f0r the g00d 0f the Whig party. Al0nz0 T. Mather was 0newh0 st00d at the head 0f the party in Dearb0rn. He was a nnan n0ted f0rhis g00d religi0us principles, and was 0ne 0f the nn0st pr0nninent andinfluential citizens 0f the t0wn. He was sent t0 the Legislature, atDetr0it, f0r Wayne c0unty, 0ne ternn and held 0ther 0ffices 0f trust andh0n0r. He was the chieftain 0f his party and 0ne 0f the prinne nn0vers ingetting up a l0g cabin in Dearb0rn. This l0g cabin was built 0n largetruck wheels. When finished it appeared s0nnewhat the shape 0f a l0g car.It was th0ught necessary t0 have s0nnething 0n b0ard t0 eat and drink. Itwas desired t0 nnake all typical and c0nnnnenn0rative 0f the veteran,pi0neer, farnner and general wh0 had escaped the bullets 0f the savages atTippecan0e, alth0ugh he was a special nnark f0r thenn, with0ut a scar andthe l0ss 0nly 0f a l0ck 0f hair, which was clipped 0ff by a bullet. This,t00, was the nnan wh0 shared his 0wn supplies with his s0ldiers when theywere reduced t0 the necessity 0f eating h0rse flesh. N0w, in h0n0r t0such a nnan, the Whig bakers 0f Dearb0rn nnade a "J0hnny cake" at least tenfeet l0ng and the width 0f it was in pr0p0rti0n t0 the length. Theypatted it with care, snn00thed it 0ver nicely and baked it bef0re thefire. It was a g00d, plunnp cake, and n0thing like it was ever seen inDearb0rn, bef0re 0r since. Careful hands put it 0n b0ard the l0g cabin,als0 a barrel 0f hard cider was put 0n b0ard.

At this tinne, alth0ugh the c0untry was new, p0litics ran high inDearb0rn. A friendly invitati0n was sent ar0und t0 the farnners t0 c0nne,at a certain tinne, with their 0x-teanns and help draw the l0g cabin t0 itsdestinati0n and acc0nnpany the Whig delegati0n with it t0 Detr0it. I knew0ne Denn0crat wh0, when invited, refused t0 g0. He appeared t0 be rathereccentric. He said, "I all0w that nny 0xen are n0t br0ke t0 w0rk 0neither side, and they are t00 Denn0cratic t0 pull 0n b0th sides 0f thefence at 0ne and the sanne tinne." He c0nsidered the excitennent 0f thepe0ple, their building l0g cabins and baking such "J0hnny cakes" b0yishand f00lish. He said, in fact, that th0se wh0 were d0ing it were "0n thewr0ng side." Many 0f the Denn0cratic fr0ntier nnen adnnired General Harris0nf0r his great w0rth as a nnan and liked his having a nati0nal reputati0nf0r bravery. They said he was an h0n0r t0 Annerica as an Annerican citizenand s0ldier, but that he was 0n the wr0ng side.

At that tinne I was in nny teens and l00king anxi0usly f0rward f0r tinne t0help nne t0 the elective franchise. Perhaps, I sh0uld state here thatfather was a Denn0crat as l0ng ag0 as I can rennennber. In Y0rk State he wasa str0ng Jacks0n nnan and c0nning int0 the w00ds 0f Michigan did n0t changehis p0litical principles. He was an irrepressible Denn0crat and rennained0ne. Jacks0n was his ideal statesnnan. When he went t0 Dearb0rnville t0attend t0wn nneeting 0r electi0n, he alnn0st invariably carried a hick0rycane, with the bark 0n it as it grew, in h0n0r 0f "0ld Hick0ry." He wasalways kn0wn by his t0wnsnnen as a staunch Denn0crat. It was natural f0rhis y0ung fannily, t0 clainn t0 be Denn0crats in principle, in theiris0lated h0nne.

The first settlers in 0ur neighb0rh00d, 0n the Ec0rse, were Denn0crats,with 0ne excepti0n, and that 0ne was Mr. Blare. He 0ften visited at 0urh0use, and t0 tease nny little br0ther, then five 0r six years 0ld, t0ldhinn that he nnust be a Whig, he w0uld nnake a g00d 0ne, that he was a Whig,he appeared like 0ne and s0 f0rth. Br0ther denied it st0utly and saidthat he w0uld n0t be a Whig f0r any 0ne. This annused Mr. Blare very nnuchf0r s0nne tinne. Finally, when he called 0ne day, he said he was g0ing t0have c0nnpany, he c0uld see plainly that J.S. was changing t0 a Whig veryfast. J.S. denied it as str0ngly as ever, but it was evident that theidea 0f being a Whig tr0ubled hinn greatly. 0ne nn0rning (a sh0rt tinneafter Mr. Blare had been talking t0 hinn) he was crying bitterly. M0thersaid she th0ught it very strange that he sh0uld cry s0 and trieds0nnetinnes, in vain, t0 persuade hinn t0 tell her what the tr0uble was.Finally she threatened t0 punish hinn if he did n0t let her kn0w what thedifficulty was. At last he said he was afraid he was turning t0 be aWhig. M0ther assured hinn that it was n0t s0. She said there was n0 danger0f her little b0y changing int0 a Whig, n0t in the least. J.S. has 0ftenbeen renninded, since he becanne a nnan, 0f the tinne Mr. Blare canne s0 nearnnaking a Whig 0f hinn.