Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 12.djvu/322

314 W. C. WOODWARD mittee on platform and resolutions, from Oregon. It was received with universal applause, and cries of 'When did you move?' It was felt that the greatest difficulty of the Convention would be to create a platform acceptable to all the classes represented. . . The result is the most perfect and unequivocal statement of Republican faith ever written, the wisest and most diplomatic points of which, I think I am safe in saying, Oregon had the honor to contribute. During the third ballot there was tolerable order until Oregon declared for Lincoln, rendering his nomination certain. 1 At this point the enthusiasm became irrepres- sible; the Wigwam was shaken with cheers from 23,000 Republicans, which were renewed as state after state de- clared its unanimous vote for 'the man who could split rails and maul Democrats.' ' ; Adams announced that Lincoln's nomination had been re- ceived all over Oregon with probably more enthusiasm than would have been that of any other man. 2 He held that the great mass of Oregon Republicans had favored Bates, as be- ing the most available candidate, but that the enthusiasm of the convention for Lincoln had shown them their mistake. He paid a high tribute to Lincoln for his nobility of character, his purity of purpose and his lack of demagogism, asserting that "Abraham Lincoln stands up to-day as the best known representative of Republicanism in the Union." The pugna- cious "Parson" closed with the aggressive prediction "If he is elected, he will take his seat, unless assassinated, and rule this government, in spite of all the Union-threatening Demo- cratic traitors this side of the lake of fire, and brimstone." When the result of the National Democratic Conventions be- came known in Oregon, Bush promptly entered the name of Douglas in the Statesman as the regular Democratic nominee and at the same time renewed the attack on Republicanism which he had for some time ignored while waging war against 1 Not absolutely certain. Oregon's change to Lincoln pave him 231 1-2 votes, within i i-2 votes of the nomination. Another state then corrected the vote, giv- ing Lincoln 4 more and nominating him by a margin of 2 1-2 votes. Previous to its switch to Lincoln, the Oregon delegation had been voting for Bates. 2 Argus, July 14.