At last, amidst the multitude of oppugnant issues and factions, of the contending claims to life and liberty of men—white, red, copper-colored, and black—of the schemings of parties, and the fierce quarrels of politicians, democrats, national and sectional, whigs, know-nothings, and republicans, Oregon is enthroned a sovereign state!
While all this agitation was going on over the non-admission of Oregon, toward the close of March news came that the house had passed the senate bill without any of the amendments with which the friends of Kansas had encumbered it, few republicans voting for it, and the majority being but eleven.[1] Thus Oregon, which had ever been the bantling of the democratic party, was seemingly brought into the union by it, as according to fitness it should have been; although without the help of certain republicans, who did not wish to punish the waiting state for the principles of a party, it would have remained out indefinitely.[2] The admission took place on Saturday, Feb-
- ↑ Cong. Globe, 1858–9, pt i. 1011, 35th cong. 2d sess.; Id., pt ii. ap. 330; S. F. Bulletin, March 10, 1859; Deady's Laws Or., 101–4; Poore's Charters and Constitutions of U. S., pt ii., 1485–91, 1507–8; Or. Laws, 1860, 28–30; U. S. Pub. Laws, 333–4, 35th cong. 2d sess.
- ↑ Schuyler Colfax, in a letter to W. C. Johnson of Oregon City, made this explanation: 'The president in his message demanded that the offensive restriction against Kansas should be maintained, prohibiting her admission till she had 93,000 inhabitants, because she rejected a slave constitution, while Oregon, with her Lecompton delegation, should be admitted forthwith. And the chief of your delegation, Gen. Lane, was one of the men who had used all his personal influence in favor of that political iniquity, the Lecompton constitution, and its equally worthy successor, the English bill. He, of course, refused now to say whether he would vote in the U. S. senate, if admitted there, to repeal the English prohibition which he had so earnestly labored to impose on Kansas; and its political friends in the house refused also to assent to its repeal in any manner or form whatever. This, of course, impelled many republicans to insist that Oregon, with her Lecompton delegation, should wait for admission till Kansas, with her republican delegation, was ready to
the suspicion thus created, that the demands of Oregon were in other instances unnecessary and unjust. But Lane thought that Oregon's necessity was his opportunity, and that by promising the accomplishment of a doubtful matter he should secure at least his personal ends. Nor was he alone in this determination. Stephens of Georgia, a personal friend of Lane, who was chairman of the committee on territories, was generally believed to be withholding the report on the bill for the admission of Oregon, in obedience to instructions from Lane. Smith and Grover also appeared to be won over, and were found defending the course of the delegate. These dissensions in the party were premonitory of the disruption which was to follow.
