Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/188



180 DOROTHY HULL

National interests, however, were not dead, but merely dor- mant, and the organization of Oregon as a territory led to an awakening which, though gradual, was none the less com- plete. The position of the people in relation to the national government practically forced them to take a definite stand with regard to national politics.

Unwelcome evidence of the dependence of the people of Ore- gon on the political complexion of the national government soon appeared. The election of 1848 placed the patronage of the government in the control of the Whig Party, and the incoming government was not slow in bestowing all available positions on office-hungry Whigs. Oregon soon felt the weight of this policy. The Democratic officials who had already won the confidence and respect of the people were replaced by Whigs. A period of bitter political strife followed this change.

Politically, Oregon in 1850, was in a transition state. The Democrats were undoubtedly the strongest party numerically, but they, as well as the other parties, lacked organization. It was impossible that such an anomalous condition of affairs should continue long. It was evident that both local and national interests demanded the perfecting of party machinery, 1 and the Democrats, spurred to additional effort because of their hatred of Whig domination, went to work to perfect a party organization for the territory.

The Whigs, though at first radically opposed to party or- ganization, learned a valuable lesson from their decisive defeat in the election of 1852 (territorial), and the organization of the party followed without undue delay. But even after organiza- tion the Whigs were not strong enough numerically to com- pete with the Democrats, nor were their political tactics equally as astute as those of the chief rival party.

In the Democratic Party itself leadership soon passed into the hands of a few men who came to be popularly denominated "The Salem Clique." This group was in turn dominated by

i Statesman, June 13, 1851; February 24, 1852.

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