Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/468

450 spoke E. D. Baker, 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.

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, repudiating universal suffrage.