Page:The History of Oregon Bancroft 1888.djvu/473

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LANE IN DISGRACE.
455

ity for president, but Shell was defeated.[1] On the 5th of December the republican presidential electors T. J. Dryer, W. H. Watkins, arid B. J. Pengra met at Salem and cast the electoral vote for Lincoln, appointing Dryer to carry the vote to Washington. Thus ended the political revolution of 1860 in Oregon.

Slowly, reluctantly, regretfully came home the truth to the people of Oregon that Joseph Lane was a secessionist; that he had offered his services and those of his sons to fight in battle against his government, and against his late friends in Oregon. The news of the fall of Fort Sumter did not reach Oregon till the 30th of April, 1861. By the same steamer that brought the thrilling intelligence of actual war came Lane back to his home in Oregon. What a pitiful home-coming! Hatred and insult greeted him from the moment he came in sight of these Pacific shores. At San Francisco it was so, and when he reached Portland, and a few personal friends wished to give a salute in his honor, they were assured that such a demonstration would not be permitted in that town. Even the owner of a cart refused to transport his luggage to the house of his son-in-law. It consisted of two or three stout boxes in which were being conveyed to southern Oregon arms for the equipment of the army of the Pacific republic! But this fact was not known to the cartman, or it might have fared worse with the ex-senator. Proceeding south after a few days with these arms in a stout wagon, but unsuspected, he was met at various parts of the route by demonstrations of disrespect. At Dallas he was hanged in effigy. A fortunate accident arrested him in the perpetration of the contemplated folly and treachery,[2] and con-

  1. The whole vote for congressman was a little over 4,000. Of these Lane received 5, Logan 8, Sheil 131, and Thayer the remainder.
  2. Jesse Applegate testifies as follows: In crossing the Calapooya Mountain with only his Irish teamster, by some mischance a pistol was discharged, wounding Lane in the arm. The Irishman, frightened lest it should be