Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 12.djvu/317

 POLITICAL PARTIES IN OREGON 309 that he was not really the choice of the Democrats of the state generally. Bush had early pronounced strongly for Douglas. 1 He said he was not of that number that believed or affected to believe that the dissolution of the Union would necessarily follow the election of a Black Republican as president, even were he W. H. Seward. But he did contend that the election of such a "violent sectionalist" would widen the breach be- tween the North and South which might finally result in dis- union. This led up to a fervid appeal for Douglas as the one man suitable to meet the crisis. 2 Adams stated that from his observations he had no doubt but that a large majority of Ore- gon Democrats favored the nomination of Douglas.3 Even the Union, the Lane, anti-Clique organ, had admitted that, setting aside General Lane, Oregon would most likely favor Douglas and added, "And we are not prepared to say that he would not be the safest and most available candidate/' 4 Daniel S. Dickinson was championed by Yamhill Democrats. Among the Republicans, also, there were some decided views as to desirable candidates. In October, 1859, Adams declared his preference in a leader "Edward Bates for President," 5 and in following issues strongly supported the claims of the Missouri man. This drew out Editor Pengra of the Free Press, who had been responsible for the Seward resolution at the preceding state convention. In answer to Pengra, Adams said that if the editor of the Press had observed his own rule, "not to set up and defend the claims of any particular indi- vidual in preference to any others," he would not have intro- duced, particularly in the manner and at the time it was done, the Seward resolution of which a large majority of the 1 Statesman, Dec. 20, 1859- 2 "What can be done to stay the destroying tide of blind fanaticism and in- sure beyond peradventure the perpetuity of our national institutions? Who can and will lead the hosts of Democracy to certain triumph in the approaching strife? Who but the gallant Democratic statesman and leader of the Northwest the champion of popular sovereignty the uncompromising advocate of the rights of all the states and the foe to sectionalism in any guise and in evwy quarter Stephen A. Douglas I 3 Argus, Nov. 5, 1859. 4 Union, Nov. 12, 1859. 5 Argus, Oct. i, 1859.