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POLITICAL PARTIES IN OREGON 305 tween the two Democratic wings. The bitter feeling between them was far more intense than between either of them and the Republicans. The legislature which was to be chosen at the June election, would be called upon to elect two United States senators at its regular session in September. This fact gave direction to the political activities in the spring. Lane and Smith were the avowed and determined candidates of the radical Democrats and both the Douglas Democrats and the Republicans were stern in the resolution to defeat them. The two latter political divisions thus found themselves in more or less of an alliance. It was unconfessed for the most part and even often openly repudiated, especially by the Douglas men, who because of the alliance were called Mulattoes by the Lane forces. But where principles were similar and purposes the same, some unity of action was inevitable. It was all the more so because Col. Baker was an avowed popular sovereignty man, which ren- dered him at least inoffensive to the conservative Democrats. The Republicans were now recognized as at least holding the balance of power between the warring Democratic factions and were in fact accused of alliance with each by the other. As early as November, 1859, Adams made light of the sug- gestion made by the Portland correspondent of the Statesman that the Lane forces and the Republicans would unite in the election of senators. 1 The Portland Advertiser predicted such fusion and called on Democrats to defeat such an "unholy al- liance." 2 Such a suggestion was an implication against the honesty of purpose of the Republicans. Two years previous they had been in alliance with that faction of Oregon Democ- racy, the "Nationals" or "softs," which now for the most part comprised the Lane party. But no lines were drawn on na- tional principles in that campaign as there were now in 1860. Indeed, a letter appeared in the Argus, March 31, 1860, dated at Yoncalla, signed "A" and evidently written by the old Ro- man, Jesse Applegate, strongly opposing the idea of coalition i Argus, Nov. 12, 1859. in Statesman, July 10, 1860.