Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/70

 58 Marie Merriman Bradley. A disturbance at Oregon City, for which a free negro was to blame, offered a ^ood chance of ridding Oregon of the negro for all time. Many of the settlers were from slave States; too poor to be plantation owners, they saw the evils of poverty and of slavery, and could not look with complais- ance upon free negroes, and they were determined to leave a free heritage for their children. Article IV of the organic law prohibited slavery or involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party should have been duly convicted. The legislature, besides settling the matter of slavery in Oregon, wished to rid the country for all time of every free negro and mulatto within the territory and prevent the coming of more. Money was scarce in the infant territory, and some medium of exchange was needed. Wheat was made legal tender for taxes and judgments and all debts when there was no special contract to the contrary. Stations were designated where wheat might be delivered in payment for public debts.^^ April 8, 1845, the convention met at Champoeg for the election of Supreme Judge, Governor, etc. The code of 1844 had driven the Canadians to unite with the Americans in government organization, because, otherwise they could not protect their lands. The two principal parties here became evident, the American and the Independent, the latter includ- ing the Canadians who desired a constitution. The chief issue of the American party was that the "Organic law of 1843 was the law of the country until the people had voted upon the amendment of 1844." "Because," they contended, "the people had not yet resigned the law-making power." This opposition tended to strengthen the Independents who favored a new code. 21 Fort George in Clatsop County ; Cowlitz Farm or Fort Vancouver in Vancouver County ; at the company's warehouses at Linnton ; store of F. W. Petty grove in Portland; Tualatin (now W^ashington County) ; Mc- Loughlin Mills, or Island Milling Company in Clackamas County ; ware- houses of the Milling Company or of the Hudson's Bay Company in Champoeg County ; some place to be designated by the collector in Yamhill County.