231
the city, they left the company's interests in the hands of the British charge de affairs, Crampton. The Hudson's Bay Company placed a large valuation on their property and lands in Oregon as guaranteed under the treaty of 1846. And as the Oregon Americans held in utter contempt their claims to the lands, it is not surprising that the company sought to recoup their losses through the national treasury. But the scheme was entirely too rank to have got through congress in the face of the uprising of public sentiment against what was called the "Loco-foco" sell out. "Loco-foco" was the slang name for Democracy in those days.
But the sequel to this scheming behind the curtains is quite as interesting as the main play. The president had promised to appoint Thornton one of the territorial judges in Oregon, and congress had allowed an item of ten thousand dollars for incidental expenses in connection with the organizing of territorial government in Oregon. Thornton thought he ought to be allowed his expenses to Washington and return out of that fund. But on account of Thornton's letter above referred to, the president refused, and he also revoked his promise to appoint Thornton to a judgeship. Thornton then scurried around for help. Congressman Smith of the Alton, Illinois district, went to the president to allow Thornton to be paid, and the president refused. Then Senator Benton's influence was sought ; and Benton put the matter off on the "Little Giant," Senator Douglas. And Douglas, who was never beaten but once, and then by "Honest Old Abe," was equal to the emergency. He went to the president, and requested that Thornton be allowed his expenses and Polk refused him, as he had all the others. Then Douglas blandly remarked, "Well, I'll just give Thornton his expenses out of my own pocket, and let him get back to Oregon ; and at the next session of congress, I will introduce a bill to pay Thornton what he ought to have." This threat brought President James K. Polk to terms. He did not want the matter aired in the next congress, and he forthwith made an order that J. Quinn Thornton, representative of the Oregon provisional government, be allowed $2,750 for his traveling expenses from Oregon to Washington City and return. And this was the last mention of the provisional government of Oregon, congress or the president.
Some people imagine that all the political corruption in this country com- menced with the timber land stealing era in Oregon that ended up with the ruin of a United States senator, a member of congress and an ex-district attorney; but the career of the man Saunders above mentioned, shows that the poor little land stealers in Oregon were in very small business, compared with the opera- tion of Saunders. His career is quite well known ; and as it seemed to start with an attempt to sell the British claim to Oregon, it may be stated that Saunders had been the editor of the wrecked "The Democratic Review," a very influential magazine known to the old-timers away back in the forties. And while on the Review, he got a reputation as "President Maker." After losing his position on the Review, he became a lobbyist around the halls of congress. He was the manager of the faction that forced James Buchanan on the democratic party for president in 1856, over the heads of Stephen A. Douglas and Franklin Pierce; and carried Pennsylvania for Buchanan against the solid Quaker vote against him. Buchanan appointed him naval agent at New York, in which office he stole $21,000 from the government; then went down south, preached secession, and when the war came on, went to Canada to plot yellow fever scourges against his native land.
President Polk was anxious to have Oregon organized as a territory during his administration, and hurried the organizing act through congress. And before the act became a law, he had all the officers of the territory picked out, two of which, Burnett for associate justice, and Meek for marshall, were residents of Oregon. As soon as the act passed, he sent in all his nominees for territorial officers in one communication to the senate ; Joseph Lane of Indiana for governor, Knitzing Pritchett of Pennsylvania for secretary, Wm. T. Bryant of I
