the organization of Nebraska; he trusted that the favorable moment had come.[432] But his trust was misplaced.  The Senate refused to consider the bill, the South voting almost solidly against it, though Atchison, who had opposed the bill in the earlier part of the session, announced his conversion,—­for the reason that he saw no prospect of a repeal of the Missouri Compromise.  The Territory might as well be organized now as ten years later.[433]

Disappointed by the inaction of Congress, the Wyandots took matters into their own hands, and set up a provisional government.[434] Then ensued a contest between the Missouri factions to name the territorial delegate,—­who was to present the claims of the new government to the authorities at Washington.  On November 7, 1853, Thomas Johnson, the nominee of the Atchison faction, was elected.[435] In the meantime Senator Atchison had again changed his mind:  he was now opposed to the organization of Nebraska, unless the Missouri Compromise were repealed.[436] The motives which prompted this recantation can only be surmised.  Presumably, for some reason, Atchison no longer believed the Missouri Compromise “irremediable.”

The strangely unsettled condition of the great tract whose fate was pending, is no better illustrated than by a second election which was held on the upper Missouri.  One Hadley D. Johnson, sometime member of the Iowa legislature, hearing of the proposal of the Wyandots to send a territorial delegate to Congress, invited his friends in western Iowa to cross the river and hold an election.  They responded by choosing their enterprising compatriot for their delegate, who promptly set out for Washington, bearing their mandate.  Arriving at the capital, he found Thomas Johnson already occupying a seat in the House in the capacity of delegate-elect.  Not to be outdone, the Iowa Johnson somewhat surreptitiously secured his admission to the floor.  Subsequently, “the two Johnsons,” as they were styled by the members, were ousted, the House refusing very properly to recognize either.  Thomas Johnson exhibited some show of temper, but was placated by the good sense of his rival, who proposed that they should strike for two Territories instead of one.  Why not; was not Nebraska large enough for both?[437]

Under these circumstances, the question of Nebraska seemed likely to recur.  Certain Southern newspapers were openly demanding the removal of the slavery restriction in the new Territory.[438] Yet the chairman of the Senate Committee on Territories, who had just returned from Europe, seems to have been unaware of the undercurrents whose surface indications have been pointed out.  He wrote confidentially on November 11th:[439] “It [the administration] has difficulties ahead, but it must meet them boldly and fairly.  There is a surplus revenue which must be disposed of and the tariff reduced to a legitimate revenue standard.  It will not do to allow the surplus to accumulate in the Treasury