Charles Henry Carey

“ Thus, the people of Oregon that had just adopted a free-state constitution elected violent advocates of slavery for the first state officers and chose a pro slavery congressman, and they now proceeded to select proslavery senators to represent them in the senate at Washington. ”

“ The feeling was growing throughout the Territory that Lane and the Buchanan administration would force slavery upon Oregon. While negroes, either slave or free, were not wanted by the majority of the people of the Territory, it was now generally agreed that statehood and slavery should be again submitted to vote as soon as possible, and with those the question whether free negroes would be allowed to settle in the new state. ”

“ The transition from a territorial existence to that of a state sovereignty is always attended with more or less disorder and delay; but when we consider the change that Oregon has passed through, the people when but a handful organized and success
fully maintained a provisional government, which government was superseded by an organic act, and General Lane sent here as our first governor, the people readily accommodated themselves to the governor and his authority, and' now they declare they are ready for another change and assume state sovereignty. ”

“ Those who favored slavery talked loud and made a good deal of noise, and many of the leading democrats, with General Joseph Lane at their head (a man of great personal influence in the territory) , were open and pronounced advocates of slavery; and under an apprehension that they might succeed I wrote the letter which was published in the Oregon Statesman, then conducted by Asahel Bush. As it turned out a majority of the people favored a free state. ”

“ It claimed that the only real objection was expense of state government, but the population was already between 50,000 and 60,000, and as Oregon had been longer settled and was greater in number of population, and had more solid wealth than other territories that had become states, it could undertake to maintain and support an economical state government, and thus derive the obvious benefits, both political and pecuniary, that statehood would bring. Such benefits would greatly outweigh the disadvantages. ”

“ Hill, a member of the house, said in the debate that there were some slaves held in the territory and the house should not refuse to listen to the calls of their masters for protection of their property. Mr. Mack said: "It makes no difference whether the constitution prohibits slavery or not, the fact is there are men here who own property in slaves." ”

“ The Indian difficulties upon our frontiers have, and will for a time, deter an increase of our population by the ordinary means of overland immigration, which has been the usual source of important yearly accessions, chiefly to the agricultural class of our inhabitants. Hundreds of industrious and enterprising people would have started from the states in the ensuing spring, by the overland route, to make homes in Oregon, but for the unprotected condition of the route. ”

“ Notwithstanding the accumulation of doubt which has settled upon the question, we indulge the hope that at the present session of congress Oregon will be admitted as a state in the Union. If its population is numerically insufficient to entitle it to a representative in congress and if after all it is to be excluded on that account, we shall be obliged to hold the general government itself in a great measure responsible for the circumstances. The message principally discussed states' rights and the slavery question. ”

“ Immediately after Oregon was organized as a Territory it began to aspire to statehood. In fact, at the very first session of the new territorial legislature the formation of a constitution for a state was proposed, and in the following ten years, that covered the life of the Territory, the question of statehood was voted upon by the people several times. ”

“ For a man to labor as I have labored for the ten weeks last past (half the time without a dollar in his pocket, and all the time living upon borrowed funds) , as I have done, contending against political enemies, who are opposed to our admission chiefly because we are uncompromisingly democratic, law-abiding and Union-loving; and to find myself baffled, thwarted and kept out by the unnecessary, unkind and ill-timed articles published in our own Oregon democratic newspapers, makes me sick at heart. ”

“ Foreign capital for the establishment of manufactories, and for the building of works of internal improvement would not be introduced until there was proper basis for investment and employment. There must be population and reproductive wealth, the only foundation of prosperity. Immigration had been and would be retarded by the Indian war. There was nothing in the claim that Oregon would gain by increased representation in congress, since with the one delegate representing the Territory there was no divided counsel, and there was an advantage in unity in action. ”

“ When the convention assembled in 1857 to form a state constitution the same timidity as to saying or doing anything adverse to slavery characterized a majority of the members of that body, and in order to avoid any personal responsibility upon the subject the convention decided to submit to the people at the time the vote was taken upon the constitution the question as to whether or not slavery should exist in the state. One of the arguments of the advocates of slavery was that if slavery was not adopted our state would be overrun with free negroes ”

“ Another question was raised in the debate as to the unjust discrimination against Chinamen by the terms of the proposed constitution. But the real discussion was upon the attitude of the new state toward people of color, and the stringent prohibition of free negroes was the ground for negative arguments and negative votes by those objecting to this discrimination and opposing slavery. A strong support, however, came from Seward, who, although opposed to slave holding and favoring justice to free persons of color, thought the ad mission of Oregon was necessary to the completion of the republic. ”

“ Party spirit was intense, and the democrat majority at Salem showed a rancor that through the ten-year period of the Territory and afterward in the early years of statehood, was always characteristic of the political relations of the times. The democrats objected to the whig president appointing executive and judicial officers for the Territory and demanded the right of local self-government. They believed that if the state could be organized under a constitution of its own, the unsatisfactory condition of dependence upon distant Washington would come to an end. ”

“ On the other extreme, it was the program of the republican minority to oppose the bill for the several reasons that democrats had already been elected as senators from the new state, and the past had sufficiently demonstrated that Oregon was and would continue in the control of democrats, and finally that the anti-slavery provision annexed to the constitution was not sincere and was a mere temporary make-believe to enable the state to get in. ”

“ The last amendment offered was one by Senator Green, in the nature of a rider to the bill to the effect that Kansas be put upon the same basis to authorize her to form a constitution. Whether this affected the defeat or not, the Oregon bill was at an end for this session. When the election in Oregon of delegates to the Constitutional Convention came on in June, 1857, it was definitely known in the Territory that congress had again failed to act, and Bush of the Statesman began to suspect his political ally, Lane, of luke-warmness, if not of actual treachery. ”

“ Just as foretold, however, Applegate offered a resolution, reciting in its preamble that the delegates had been chosen with the understanding that the question of slavery would be submitted to the voters, and declaring that debate on the subject would be out of place, and that the committee on rules should be instructed to declare all debate upon the subject of slavery, either as an abstract proposition or as a mere matter of policy, out of order. ”

“ An independent sovereignty will be certain to induce, by the only other means of access, a character of population, differing in interest, but quite as requisite to the permanent prosperity of the country. ”

“ The Statesman containing the "census returns" is used and constantly stuck in our faces by our black republican and know nothing opponents!! Whilst our friend Bush is arraying assumed facts and arguments to convict General Lane of infidelity to the interests of Oregon, by neglecting, or failing, to secure our admission at the last session of congress, may he not be suspected of designedly adopting a course which is calculated and intended to produce the very result this session, which he charges to have been brought about by the negligence or design of General Lane at the last session? ”

“ However, the following afterward appeared in the Umpqua Gazette, written by General Lane:
"Some time since I wrote a letter for publication in relation to the division of Oregon Territory, as proposed by the people of Jacksonville and Yreka, in which I gave my views in opposition to such a division and urged the establishment of a state government for reasons I think will be considered legitimate and proper. A new Territory cannot be made as proposed. The delegation from California does not think of entertaining the idea of clipping their state." ”

“ The Oregon delegation to the convention of 1860 was instructed to vote for him for the presidential nomination, and he was nominated as vice-president on the Breckenridge ticket.
fundamental principle that a people in framing a state constitution have the unconditional right to form and adopt the government which they may think best calculated to secure their liberty, without imposition by congress of any condition as to slavery. ”

“ Resolved by the House, the Council concurring, That our delegate in congress be and hereby is requested to use his best endeavors, and to act in concert with the senators of California, to procure the passage of a law creating and organizing a new territory to be known by the name of Jackson Territory, including all that part of Oregon Territory lying south of the latitude of 43 degrees and 45 minutes, and all that portion of California lying north of the Trinity Mountains. ”

“ As directed in the schedule of the new constitution, the state legislature met at Salem, July 5, 1858, in a preliminary first session, notwithstanding the fact that no word had been received from congress, and although there was as yet no state of Oregon. William G. T'Vault was elected speaker and Chester N. Terry clerk of the house, while Luther Elkins was elected president and George Carpenter chief clerk of the senate. Practically nothing was done, however, at this session excepting to elect Joseph Lane and Delazon Smith as United States senators. ”

“ There were really no vacant lands in the Willamette, Umpqua or Rogue River valleys, and the only available lands were east of the Cascades, which could not be had until after the Indian war was over and they were surveyed by the government. ”

“ The bill was amended to prohibit slavery, and as so amended passed the house, but it did not pass the senate for lack of time. Thereupon, another bill at the next session passed the house with an amendment to prohibit slavery on the express ground that Oregon was territory north of 36 degrees, 30 minutes, which was the line of the Missouri compromise. This bill also failed in the senate. In 1848 Douglas was a member of the senate, and, as chairman of the committee on territories, he introduced a bill of similar import and again an amendment was offered prohibiting slavery. ”

“ The debate on limiting liability of stockholders of corporations developed a difference of opinion, but the convention finally decided that the individual liability of stockholders for the indebtedness of a corporation should be no more than the amount of their subscribed and unpaid stock obligation. Some of the members, including Williams, wanted to make them individually liable for indebtedness to labor. President Deady took an active part in the debate, opposing this discrimination, but he confessed to a deep prejudice against corporations as agencies of modern business. ”

“ We have had a time and trial on the Oregon question. I have felt myself in no danger from my former infirmity until I became excited on this question. Bingham's speech, and Clark B. Cochran's, will show you the ground of our resistance. We should have succeeded except for the fact that Seward had advocated its admission while the bill was before that body (the senate) . It was hard to rally our friends after he approved the bill. But we showed a good vote. 114 ayes to 103 noes. You will see the names of those who voted with the democrats. Colfax had the Indiana delegation. ”