Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/395

 Slavery Question in Oregon. 367 "Very likel}^; and suppose you killed a hundred or five hundred, which is improbable, your fate would be just the same. There would be no let-up until your entire force were killed or captured. Your old muzzle-loading rifles, that you brought across the plains, and which served effectively^ for killing game and Indians, are antiquated weapons as against the breecliloaders, which can be fired five times to your once. Besides, the United States soldiers stationed at Vancouver would be sent against you, supplied with cannon, shot and shell, with which they could destroy you and keep out of range of your squirrel guns. Mac! you and I have been friends a good while; you have come to me for advice fre- quently, for which you paid me, but now I am going to offer you advice gratis, and I insist that you shall follow it to the letter. You go home and advise your Confederate friends to keep the peace. R-emain perfectly quiet; do nothing and say nothing to stir up strife or ill feeling between Union men and rebel sympathizers. You should not feel humiliated at such a course, for it is wisdom to do so. If all your friends in the State should begin hostilities, and succeed in holding all of the country south of the Calapooia ]Iountains, it would not affect the result of this national contest a feather's weight. You and your friends in Oregon cannot hasten or retard the end a moment of time. You have it in your power to bring destruction to yourselves and families, but I insist that you shall not do it. You are good people, and I want to be near you and have the pleasure of your society as long as I live. ' ' "Mac" did as he was advised, and lived respected and trusted by all good citizens, and his descendants occupy prominent positions in society. There was enough division in Oregon to have brought on a destructive frenzy similar to that in Missouri, and would have done so but for the long distance separating it from the insurgent States, and the policy of the government in not diminishing our home guard by recruiting here.