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248 W. C. WOODWARD sonal efforts in our behalf, Oregon would now be in Territorial vassalage." In harmony with this resolution, the Statesman was condemned for its assults upon distinguished members of the Democratic party. 1 Similar action supporting Lane was taken by Josephine, Multnomah and Linn county, though in some cases by a bare majority vote. 2 The break between Lane and the Clique gave the Nationals or "soft" faction of the party their opportunity. As has been shown, they remained steadfast in their loyalty to Lane and they now began to rally round him as their champion against the Clique. The leadership of Lane gave them that political legitimacy which was so essential. They were no longer po- litical pariahs. In fact they began looking forward at once to securing, through the prestige of Lane, the control of the regu- lar party machinery. The return of the Nationals to the regular organization was hailed with satisfaction by several county conventions and by the following resolution adopted by the state convention : "We approve and rejoice over that thor- ough and harmonious unison of the party which has displaced past differences and given assurances of future united action." As the Nationals were in control of the convention, however, the "approval" was easily understood and there was a lurking suspicion of irony in the reference to the harmonious unison of the party. The Democratic state convention met on April 20 at Salem. It was the first convention in which the Lane forces and the Clique had been in open opposition. A trial of strength was at once made and the Clique was worsted for the first time. A minority of the committee on resolutions dissented from the re- port. Thirty votes were cast against the fifth resolution which strongly commended the three Oregon representatives in Con- gress for their effective work in securing the admission of Oregon. 3 The real test of strength, however, came in the vote for nomination of a Congressman to succeed Grover. Lansing i Ibid., April 19. 2lbid., April 19, April 26. aProceedings, Statesman, April 26.