Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/460

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CHAPTER XVIII.

POLITICS AND PATRIOTISM.

1859–1861.

Appointment of Officers of the United States Court—Extra Session of the Legislature—Acts and Reports—State Seal—Delazon Smith—Republican Convention—Nominations and Elections—Rupture in the Democratic Party—Sheil Elected to Congress—Scheme of a Pacific Republic—Legislative Session of 1860—Nesmith and Baker Elected U. S. Senators—Influence of Southern Secession—Thayer Elected to Congress—Lane's Disloyalty—Governor Whiteaker—Stark, U. S. Senator—Oregon in the War—New Officials.

The act of congress extending the laws and judicial system of the United States over Oregon, which passed March 3, 1859,[1] provided for one United States judge, at a salary of twenty-five hundred dollars per annum, Matthew P. Deady being chosen to fill this office.[2] Late in 1858 Williams had been appointed chief justice of the territory, with Boisé associate justice, and Walter Forward[3] of Marion county United States marshal, McCracken having resigned. On the 20th of May the judges elect of the supreme and circuit courts

  1. U. S. Pub. Laws, 437, 35th cong. 2d sess.
  2. Grover says that Hendricks of Indiana, who was then commissioner of the general land office, and was afterward U. S. senator for 6 years, and a candidate for the vice-presidency, was among the applicants for the place, and personally his preference, but that the Oregon people were opposed to imported officers, and hence he recommended Deady. Pub. Life in Or., MS., 57. It was said at the time that Lane made the recommendation to keep Deady out of his way in future elections. However that might be, the appointment was satisfactory, and Judge Deady has done much to support the dignity of the state, and to promote the growth of moral and social institutions.
  3. He was a nephew of Walter Forward of Penn. and of Jeremiah Black U. S. atty-gen. Amer. Almanac, 1857–9; Or. Statesman, Dec. 21, 1858.

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