ˈæftɚ ðæt pˈɑːɹɾiz dˌɪsəlˈuːʃən ɪnðə mˈɪd wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti z, hiː ɐlˈaɪnd wɪððə nˈæɾɪvˌɪst ɐmˈɛɹɪkən pˈɑːɹɾi"nˈoʊ nˈʌθɪŋz", ænd wʌzɐ mˈɛmbɚɹ ʌvðə bˈɛdfɚd kˈaʊnti dˌɛlɪɡˈeɪʃən æt tˌɛnəsˈiːz ɐmˈɛɹɪkən pˈɑːɹɾi kənvˈɛnʃənz ɪn nˈæʃvɪl ɪn fˈɛbɹuːˌɛɹi wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti sˈɪks ænd fˈɛbɹuːˌɛɹi wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti sˈɛvən hɪz fˈɛloʊ bˈɛdfɚd kˈaʊnʃən, wˈɪljəm ˈeɪtʃ. wˈaɪsənə, wʌz pɹˈɛzɪdənt ʌvðə lˈæɾɚ kənvˈɛnʃən.
After that party's dissolution in the mid-1850s, he aligned with the nativist American Party ("Know Nothings"), and was a member of the Bedford County delegation at Tennessee's American Party conventions in Nashville in February 1856 and February 1857 (his fellow Bedford Countian, William H. Wisener, was president of the latter convention).