204 LESLIE M. SCOTT
the following letter signed "F" (probably Henry Failing), printed in The Oregonian, October 20, 1896 (p. 12) :
"The appointments were made a long year before the meeting of the convention (National), and, of course, long before the call was issued. It was taken for granted that Oregon would be entitled to a representation equal to its electoral vote.
"At that time, Mr. Seward was the most prominent candidate for the nomination, and, in fact, no other candidate had, as yet, developed any great strength. During the year [following], however, a considerable change took place in the sentiment of the party in Oregon, and it is hardly probable that the same instruction would have been given in 1860.
"In fact, it was considered by many that the delegates could hardly be bound by instructions given so long in advance, but ought to be at liberty to exercise their riper judgment. Edward Bates, of Missouri, was the favorite candidate of The Orego- nian, then edited by Thomas J. Dryer, and there was much dis- cussion as to how far the delegates were bound. The Oregonian and the Eugene People's Press, Mr. Pengra's paper [B. J. Pen- gra] taking opposite sides of the question.
"When the call for the Chicago convention came out, it was found that Oregon was entitled to six delegates, and, as the State convention would not assemble in time to fill the list [not until April 19, 1860], the State Central Committee H. W. Corbett, E. D. Shattuck and W. C. Johnson appointed three additional delegates. They were : Henry W. Corbett, Joel Bur- lingame [father of Anson Burlingame], and Frank Johnson [the Reverend Frank Johnson, D. D.]
"The convention was originally called to meet on the six- teenth [thirteenth] of June, 1860, but the date was changed a few days later to the sixteenth of May. This upset the arrange- ments of several of the delegates, as they had so timed their departure for the East that they could not reach Chicago in time [for the earlier date]. Mr. Holmes sent his proxy to Horace Greeley. Mr. Corbett sent his to Eli Thayer, member of Congress from Massachusetts. Frank Johnson was already in the East, a divinity student at Hamilton, New York, and attended the convention in person. Mr. Burlingame, I think, went to Chicago in person. What Mr. Hovey or Dr. Warren did I do not remember, if I ever knew, but I think Leander Holmes' was the only proxy held by Greeley.
"Mr. Corbett and Mr. Holmes both went East, according" to
