desire the Hanoverian rather than the Stuart rule. The influence of the party became powerful in the state from the era of George I, and was represented by the great Whig families of the time — Burke and Fox being its chief leaders. After the era of the Reform Bill (1832), a piece of legislation brought about by the Whigs, the latter term began to be replaced by that of the progressive and reforming Liberals. Goldwin Smith (q. v.) thus defines the two party names: “The Tory was the friend of government by prerogative and of church privilege; the Whig was the friend of constitutional liberty and toleration; in effect, the Tory was a supporter of monarchical, the Whig of parliamentary, supremacy. . . . In later times the Tory party became that of political and ecclesiastical reaction, the Whig party that of general progress.”
(2) In American history the Whigs of the days of the American colonies were those who favored the Revolution, as opposed to the Tories, who advocated adherence to the mother country. The term more specifically dates, however, from 1830 and refers to the political party under the leadership of Henry Clay, known as National Republicans (or Whigs), as opposed to the Jackson, and later to the Democratic, Republicans. The Whigs favored a protective tariff, a national bank and a system of internal improvements. It was they who in 1840 elected W. H. Harrison to the presidency, and sought in 1844 to elect Clay to the office. With the election of Zachary Taylor the Whig party fell into a state of disintegration, many of the northern Whigs becoming Free Soilers and most southern Whigs becoming Democrats. The Whigs had a long line of representative leaders in the north; but the term fell into disuse, or, more correctly, gave place to that of Republicans — the last action of what remained of the Whig party being the nomination by the Constitutional Union party, in 1860, of Bell and Everett at Baltimore for the presidency and vice-presidency.
Whip′ple, Abraham, an American naval officer, was born at Providence, R. I. on Sept. 16, 1733. He commanded a privateer in the French and Indian War, and in one cruise took 23 French prizes. During the Revolutionary War his ship took more vessels than any other in the service. After his ship was finally taken by the British, he sailed for France with dispatches in a new ship and encountered the British merchant fleet of 150 vessels on its way to Jamaica. Hiding his guns and running up the British flag, he joined the fleet, and at night captured a vessel, putting on a crew from his own ship, and sent it to America. This he did until he had taken ten ships. He was taken prisoner near Charleston in 1780. His ship was the first American vessel to enter the Thames with the United States flag (1784). He moved west with the Ohio Company, dying at Marietta, O. on May 29, 1819.
Whip-Poor-Will, a bird widely known on account of its oft-repeated cry of whip-poor-will. It is not often seen, although it is abundant in damp woods of the eastern United States. It usually rests on the ground during the day and is active at twilight and early nightfall, sending forth its cry and also coursing low over the grass in search of insects. It is about ten inches long and of plain colors, being grayish, much variegated with black and buff. Its bill is very broad, its mouth large and provided with a tuft of long bristles. It builds no nest, but deposits its eggs on leaves or a slight depression in the ground. To the same family belong the chuck-will's-widow and the night-hawk.
Whirl′pool′ is a current in a river, which moves in a circle, owing to opposite tides or winds. The two celebrated sea-whirlpools are Charybdis near Sicily and the maelstrom in the North Sea, which are not usually dangerous to ships; but, when the current and the wind are strongly opposed to each other, large ships are driven against the rocks. Whirlpools were dreaded by sailors and many legends arose about them. They were thought to be openings into great caverns, within whose depths lived mermaids and sea-monsters. Norwegian fishermen still believe that, if they can throw a heavy object into the whirlpool, it will close without injuring their ship. See Maelstrom and Scylla.
Whirl′wind′, a small vortex motion of the earth's atmosphere, generally produced by the meeting of two contrary winds. Prof. R. W. Wood has shown a neat method of producing artificial whirlwinds. He heats a large iron plate — say four feet square — by placing a number of Bunsen burners underneath. While the plate is hot, a little sal-ammoniac is scattered over it. The fumes thus produced render visible the vortices formed by the two currents of air coming over opposite edges of the hot plate. See Cyclone and Storm.
Whis′ky, a spirit or liquor distilled usually from grain of some kind, originating probably among the Celtic inhabitants of Ireland and Scotland, as the name is from the Celtic, meaning water of life. It was first known as aqua vitæ (water of life) and used only as a medicine, and was first used as a drink in Scotland in the 17th century. The tax on whisky, imposed partly for revenue but largely to reduce its use, resulted in evasions of the tax by illegal manufacture and smuggling. Whisky was first made from malted barley by distillation (q. v.), but can be made from any grain or even from potato-starch or grape-sugar. In the United States it is made largely from corn and rye. A great deal
