Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/345

 Slavery Question in Oregon. 317 ponents should stand against slavery and for free negroes. The supposition with him was, that no free-state man would or could be found to accept the proposition, or in case of acceptance, the result would be a wrangle among the free- state men over the admission of "free niggers" to the new State; in either case a discomfiture to the opponents of slavery. He miscalculated as to both suppositions, for Mr. Jacobs and Samuel Colver promptly accepted the challenge, and the result of the contest showed he had never heard the question debated upon its merits and by an advocate thor- oughly skilled in polemics. The meeting was held at Phoenix the first week in November, two or three days before the elec- tion on the Constitution, and was largely attended by citizens from all over the county. The building was packed to over- flowing — many standing within hearing distance around it. Mr. Foudray's introductory address showed him, at least, to be a master of fence. He desired it to be distinctly under- stood that they did not propose to make slaves of anybody who is now free; we shall not ask for the revival of the African slave trade. On the other hand, if slavery in the United States did not exist, and not an African within its borders, we should object to the introduction of slavery any- where. But slavery is a fact in this nation of ours ; it is here under the protection of law and the compromises of the Con^ stitution, and which ever way we decide the question for our- selves will make no more or less slaves, no more or less freemen. So you see that if we decide to bring some of those already in slavery to help cultivate our large farms, we will not be ag- gravating matters so far as the slaves are concerned, rather bettering them if anything, and we shall be improving our own condition in supplying cheap labor, which we can never have so long as gold mining pays a free laborer better wages than the farming interests can afford. After amplifying these views to a considerable extent, Mr. Foudray launched out into a rambling dissertation concerning the evils of ''free niggers," negro equality, miscegenation, etc. Mr. Colver fol- lowed him, and presented to the audience his observations