of democracy still retained their hold on the people, a far greater number than ever before voted an opposition ticket, and that of the delegates chosen to the constitutional convention more than one third were either republicans or were elected on the opposition ticket; that the legislature, instead of being almost wholly democratic as for several preceding years, would at the next session have a democratic majority of but one in the council; and that there would be ten republicans among the thirty members of the house.[1]
During this important epoch the course of the Statesman was cautious and prudent, while seeming to be frank and fearless. It published with equal and impartial tolerance the opinions of all who chose to expound the principles of freedom or the evils or blessings of slavery. The other leading party journals were not, and could not afford to be, so calm and apparently indifferent to the issue; for while they were striving to mould public sentiment, the Statesman had one settled policy, which was to go whichsoever way the destinies of the democratic party led it. More than one new campaign journal was established,[2] and influences were brought to bear, hitherto
- ↑ The official returns for delegate to congress gave Lane 5,662 votes, and Lawson 3,471. The constitutional convention vote was 7,617 for and 1,679 against. The counties that gave a republican majority were Yamhill, Washington, Multnomah, Columbia, and Clatsop. Benton came within 25 votes of making a tie. In the other counties of the Willamette there was a large democratic majority. Or. Argus, June 13, 1857; Or. Statesman, July 7, 1857; Tribune Almanac, 1858, 63.
- ↑ There was The Frontier Sentinel, published at Corvallis, whose purpose was to give 'an ardent and unwavering support in favor of the introduction of slavery into Oregon.' The publisher was L. P. Hall from California, and the material was from the office of the Expositor, another democratic journal, whose usefulness had expired, and whose type was about worn out. Or. Argus, June 20, 1857. The Occidental Messenger, published at Corvallis, advocated the doctrine that there could be no such thing as a free state democrat. Or. Statesman, Aug. 25, 1857. 'The editor of that paper came to Oregon something less than six months ago, and issued a prospectus for a weekly newspaper. No one knew where he came from, who sent him, or how much Avery paid for him. In his prospectus he avowed himself in favor of the present national administration, in favor of the principles enunciated by the Cincinnati national democratic convention, and in favor of the introduction of slavery into Oregon.' From the remarks of the Jacksonville Herald, it appears that the Sentinel and the Messenger were one paper, edited by Hall.
