the Whig party were largely due to its necessities
as an opposition, which required the aid of all
who were dissatisfied with the administration, but
the experiences of its immediate predecessor, the
National Republican party, and the personality
of that party's one president, John Quincy
Adams, were contributing factors that deserve
more attention than they have received.

In 1825 Adams and his associates had a fair
opportunity for the organization of a well-dis-
ciplined party if the necessary political leader-
ship had been available. The patronage was in
their possession, and they also had more than
their proportionate share of the country's able
men. Moreover, given a favorable political sit-
uation, Adams' plans of natural development had
much to commend them. ¹ In spite of these
promising beginnings crushing defeat in the elec-
tion of 1828 permanently discredited Adams as a
presidential candidate and revealed the weakness
of the National Republican party. The rising
tide of frontier democracy in support of Jackson
goes far toward an explanation of this result;
however, it was in part due to Adams' political
mistakes and to his half-hearted coöperation with
the leaders of his party. There is little evidence
that he understood, what was clear to many at the

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