Show I I i AN Al E BLACK LEGION ON ti r N TREES were posted v ous squares of ot paper black or white or red summoning m men n to midnight meetings At these t me Ings there were o oaths hs and grips tad md pass words Treat That Tt at was more than three quarters quarters hers of ot a century ago but memo mem mem- mem members members bers of the Black Legion who creAted such a furore early In 1936 1930 would have felt pretty much at home in those meetings bac back In the forties and fifties There Thero they would have fraternized with mem member members ber bers of The Supreme Order of the Star Spangled Banner Danner a se seI secret secret secret cret society which grew into a po poi political political party the Native Americans with a platform of ot opposition to foreigners the tho papacy infidelity and socialism Later they became known as the Know Nothings because when a member was questioned about the order he Invariably answered I Idon Idon Idon don t know In New York and Pennsylvania they elected several men to congress and In 1847 they held a n national convention at Phil Phill Philadelphia adelphia There they nominated Gen Gem Henry Dearborn for lor vice pres president ident and recommended recommended but did not formally nominate Gen Zach Zachary Zachary sty ary Taylor for President Taylor and Millard rill more the Whig candidates were elected In 1848 i In 1854 55 the Know Nothings car carried ried vied Massachusetts Connecticut Rhode Island New Hampshire K and California and looked forward to the election of ot 1858 1856 with high hopes Soon the tto 0 party threw off orr its secret character and It be- be became be became came como apparent that they were v mostly Whigs In February they held another convention In Philadel Philadelphia phia at which they formally re- re re re their party the American party They nominated for President dent Millard Filmore the Whig vice president who had served all allbut allbut allbut but one month of ot the term to which Zachary Taylor had been elected and gave him for a running mate Andrew Donelson of Tennessee the ward of o Old Hickory Jackson Fillmore FUlmore carried only one state in inthe inthe Inthe the election which sent James Bu Buchanan Buchanan Buchanan chanan the Democratic candidate to the White House and the Know Nothings passed out of ot the political picture soon afterwards |