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 Slavery Question in Oregon. 321 social equality that their ideas are quite vague and incoherent. A very little thought upon the subject will serve to show that they are unduly frightened, in fact, that they are suffering from a sort of nightmare. We have only to look among our- selves to see that though we are all equal before the law and each is free to pursue his own course and make his living in Ids own way, yet that our social aggregations depend, not upon that, but are determined by the mutual affinities of the associ- ates. That is the law which holds them together and with which statute law has nothing to do. If attempted it would be wholly irrelevant and powerless. And further, no white man, however well educated and endowed, would seek or endure uncongenial companions, though said to be socially equal. Freeing a man, of whatever color from slavery is no assault upon the social freedom of others, or any hindrance to the formation of social groups, which depend, as we have seen, upon affinity of sentiment and feeling. Our op- posing friends should think of these natural and therefore irreversible laws and dispel their fears. It may not be out of place to say, that there is no aspect of the question to be decided next Monday which should give our pro-slavery neighbors any encouragement, for there is no valid basis for their contention. Our Constitution makers have fixed it so that slavery, once adopted here, is irreversible except by consent of the owners of slaves, who though they may not number a dozen, can hold the State to slavery against the wishes of the million others. So there is no room for experi- ment; the decision Monday must be final and for all time. Jackson County is so nearly balanced between the opposing forces that some persons have felt considerable anxiety as to the general result but there is no danger pending. These lovely Western valleys will never be cursed by that institu- tion which even now threatens the perpetuity of the great American Nation. The people of Oregon will vindicate their attachment to free institutions and after their decision there will be no murmurings of discontent from the minority who