▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁n ativ ist ▁dist rust ▁of ▁Catholic ▁influence ▁produced ▁a ▁back l ash ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁" K now - Nothing " ▁movement . ▁In ▁the ▁election ▁of ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁the ▁Tem per ance ▁Party ▁candidate , ▁Am os ▁Th ro op , ▁lost ▁by ▁a ▁margin ▁of ▁nearly ▁ 2 0 % ▁to ▁Isaac ▁Lawrence ▁Mill iken . ▁Nevertheless , ▁after ▁winning ▁the ▁election , ▁Mill iken ▁declared ▁himself ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁temper ance ▁as ▁well . ▁Mill iken ▁lost ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁to ▁Le vi ▁Bo one , ▁the ▁American ▁Party ▁candidate . ▁Le vi ▁Bo one ▁ran ▁on ▁an ▁anti - imm igr ant ▁and ▁anti - C atholic ▁platform ▁of ▁the ▁Know - Nothing ▁Party , ▁which ▁gar ner ed ▁him ▁enough ▁support ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁election . ▁The ▁Know - Nothing ▁Party ▁nation ally ▁had ▁been ▁feed ing ▁off ▁the ▁sw ell ▁of ▁national ist ▁sent iments ▁bre wing ▁in ▁the ▁nation ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 5 0 s . ▁In ▁his ▁inaug uration ▁speech , ▁Mayor ▁Bo one ▁stated , ▁" I ▁cannot ▁be ▁blind ▁to ▁the ▁existence ▁in ▁our ▁midst ▁of ▁a ▁powerful ▁politico - rel ig ious ▁organization , ▁all ▁its ▁members ▁ow ing , ▁and ▁its ▁chief ▁officers ▁bound ▁under ▁an ▁o ath ▁of ▁alleg iance ▁to ▁the ▁temporal , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁spiritual ▁supre m acy ▁of ▁a ▁foreign ▁desp ot ." ▁Associ ated