420 OREGON BECOMES A STATE.

states as are recognized by the constitution;" that in choosing delegates to the constitutional conven tion no discrimination should be made between demo crats in favor of or opposed to slavery, because that question should be left to be settled by a direct vote of the people.

To this parade of the ruling party the infant repub lican organization could offer no opposition that had in it any promise of success. A few of the older coun ties chose delegates to the constitutional convention; others had no republican representation. But there was a visible defection in the democratic ranks from the bold position taken by the leaders, that it was treachery to question their mandates, even when they conflicted with the interests and wishes of the sec tions of country represented a doctrine directly op posed in sentiment to that of state rights, which the party was commanded to indorse. This was a species of subordination against which many intelligent demo crats protested as strongly as the republicans protested against negro slavery. One newspaper, the Portland Democratic Standard, revolted, and was declared to be out of the party. 1 *

The June election came on. The republican party had no candidate for delegate, but was prepared to vote for G. W. Lawson, a free soil democrat, who announced himself as an independent candidate for congress. Lane arrived toward the last of April, and the canvass began. Hitherto in an election the ques tions considered had been chiefly personal and local ; or at the most, they involved nothing more important than a desired appropriation or a change in the land law. But now the people were called upon to lay the foundation of a state; to decide upon matters affecting the interests of the commonwealth for all time. The returns showed that while the principles

14 There were few persons in Oregon not deeply interested in politics at this time. A correspondent of a California paper writes: The Oregonians have two occupations, agriculture and politics. See remarks on the causes of dissension in the democratic party, in Or. Statesman, April 14 and 21, 1857.