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190 DOROTHY HULL

governments together, and made no reference to popular sover- eignty in the territories in general.

The different parties met in conventions early in 1858 to nominate state officials, in order that the state government might be ready to go into immediate operation when Oregon should be admitted to the Union. The regular Democratic convention, meeting in March, endorsed both the Kansas- Nebraska doctrine and the Dred Scott decision, in spite of the fact that Douglas, the author of the doctrine of popular sover- eignty had broken with the administration over the Dred Scott decision. The platform warmly endorsed Buchanan, however, so it may be understood that Douglas was to be abandoned. The National Democrats, in a separate convention, though en- dorsing President Buchanan, held to the right of the people of the territories to frame and adopt their constitutions and all local laws for their own government. 1 Thus they appeared to support Douglas rather than Buchanan. The Republican State convention denounced the Dred Scott decision, 2 while the Whigs showed a disposition to stand with the national Democrats. 3

The party lines on the question were by no means clearly drawn. Bush, though accepting nomination at the hands of the regular Democratic convention, undoubtedly preferred Douglas, but he refrained during the campaign from express- ing this preference.*

On the other hand Joseph Lane, the territorial delegate, and hence the national representative of the regular Democratic machine, who had defended squatter sovereignty from the time of its inception, now as ably defended the Dred Scott decision.

In the ensuing Oregon election the regular Democratic Party, in spite of dissensions, was in the main successful, although in many parts of the territory the opposition (Whigs, Republicans, and National Democrats, who frequently acted together at the

1 Statesman, March 23, 1858.

2 Oregonian, April 10, 1858.

3 Quarterly, XII, 231.

4 Quarterly, XII, 234.