Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/375

 Slavery Question in Oregon. 347 so with him it was "our country right or wrong," patriotism run wild, and while Abraham Lincoln opposed the Mexican AYar, Baker resigned his seat in Congress to raise a regiment and take an active part in promoting the schemes of the slave- holding oligarchy. Notwithstanding this inconsistent escapade in the Mexican War, he was anti-slavery in sentiment or rather in feeling, for no such knight errant thirsting for ad- venture, could endure, even in imagination, the fetters and cramp of slavery. His innate feeling was not so much moral as an aspiration for brilliant achievement, which he was noble enough to share with all the w^orld. The division of the Democratic party which occurred in 1858 had not been healed, and while there were several alleged grounds of dissension, such as the tyranny of the Salem Clique, opposition to General Lane, the slavery question, party regularity, etc., the cleavage at the time of Colonel Baker's arrival was that of Douglas vs. the administration, and the animosity between the factions was quite bitter, even more than between them and the Republicans. In most of the counties they met together in convention and the stronger faction excluded the other from representation. In Marion County the Douglas men were in the majority, and having control of the party machinery, nominated the following persons for the Legislature: B. F. Harding, Robert Newell, Samuel Parker, and C. P. Crandall. Later the friends of General Lane and the administration met in convention and nominated a ticket composed of good and substantial citizens, mostly of the pro-slavery type, unlettered, inexperienced in legislative affairs, but very much in earnest in promoting their opinions, and not at all lacking in mother wit. Taking advantage of the growing discontent with the Salem Clique and Mr. Bush as the accredited head of it, they stigmatized their Democratic opponents as the "Bushites. " In this they no doubt erred, for Mr. Bush promptly responded with the very descriptive and truthful title, ''The Beetle Heads." The nominees on the Lane ticket were good neighbors but withal aged and dull, and the epithet was so pat there was no dodging