CHAPTER VIII

THE CAMPAIGN OF  I 856 IN NEW YORK

The annual session of the Know-Nothing Grand Council, at
which the Barker control was finally thrown off, convened on
February 26, 1856, at Canandaigua.' In the absence of the
grand president, then engaged in president-making at Phila¬
delphia, a temporary chairman called the session to order.
The principal work of the fir.st day was the reception of cre¬
dentials. When organization was completed the Council
voted a ratification of the new Fillmore and Donelson ticket.
On the 27th the Council adopted the new national platform
and then passed to debate on a proposal to abandon the secret
system In New York. The suggestion was put aside. Next
came the annual election of officers. The grand president's
place was first voted to Lyman Odell, of Livingston, the unsuc¬
cessful nominee for speaker of the Assembly, but Odell de¬
clined it, whereupon it was voted to Stephen Sammons of
Montgomery, one of the long-tried workers of the secret
movement The place of grand vice-president seems to have
gone to George Denniston, of Steuben. For grand secretary,
J. Stanley Smith, of Cayuga, was chosen. This election
probably closed the work of the session.

The Know-Nothings now faced a new campaign and one
which would thoroughly test the strength of the organization.
The presidency of the nation and the governorship of the state
were the prizes for which the New York branch of the party
would work. National and state considerations were there¬
fore mingled in the plans of the year.    In the national contest

^ Account from Herald reporls,
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