spoke E. D. Baker,[1] a prominent politician, who came from California, where his star was not propitious, to Oregon, where he hoped to have a finger in the new politics. He made many speeches during the summer campaign, Logan being again the republican candidate for congress, the Seward plank in their platform, however, being abandoned, Nesmith took the field against Sheil, while Kelly, who had returned to his party, Smith, and Sheil himself, advocated the principles of the southern democracy. Whatever the cause, there was a slight reaction from the congressional campaign of 1859, and Sheil received a majority over Logan of 104 votes, while the legislature was more solidly democratic than at the last election.[2]
The election was not long past when the final news was received of the proceedings of the Charleston and Baltimore conventions, the secession of the extreme southern states, and the nomination by them of Lane to the vice-presidency, causing a strong revulsion of feeling among all of the democratic party not strongly pro-slavery in principle.
Oregon was still less prepared to receive a scheme of government said to be entertained by the senators of the Pacific coast, which was to establish a slave-holding republic, on the plan of an aristocracy similar to the ancient republic of Venice, which, while providing for an elective executive, vested all power in hereditary nobles,[3] repudiating universal suffrage.
- ↑ Born in London in 1811; came to America in 1816; learned cabinet-making, and in 1828 went to Carrollton, Ill., where he began the study of law. In 1832 he was major in the Black Hawk war. For ten years he was a member of the Ill. legislature, and in 1845 of the U. S. house of representatives. During that year he raised a regiment for the Mexican war and joined Taylor at the Rio Grande. In Dec. 1846 he returned, made a speech on the war in congress, after which he resigned and went back to Mexico, where he participated in the capture of San Juan de Ulúa and the battle of Cerro Gordo; taking the command in that battle after the wounding of Gen. Shields. The state of Illinois presented him with a sword. In 1849 he was again elected to congress; and in 1851 he undertook some work on the Panamá railway, but was driven by the fever to Cal. in 1852, where he practised law and made political speeches. Or. Argus, Jan. 4, 1862.
- ↑ There was an increase in the poll of 1,823 since June, 1859. Or. Statesman, June 26, 1860.
- ↑ It was the common belief that Gwin of California was at the bottom of
