Constitutional Union Party begins its presidential campaign in Boston

Three hundred men, mostly businessmen, met in Boston to begin officially the presidential campaign of the new Constitutional Union Party.  Founded the previous December, the party appealed to Whigs and Know-Nothings loathe to join either the Republican or the Democrats and espoused the simple platform of  "The Constitution of the Country, The Union of the States, and the Enforcement of the Laws."  John Bell of Tennessee later emerged as their candidate for president.  (By John Osborne)