Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 17.djvu/123

Rh for the punishment of persons who shall bring them into the state, or employ or harbor them.

When the votes were counted it was found that there were 2,645 votes for slavery and 7,727 votes against making Oregon a slave state. There were 1,081 votes to allow free negroes to come to Oregon and 8,640 against allowing free negroes to reside in the state.

The slavery question a few years later snuffed out the light for all time of some of the leading politicians of Oregon who espoused the South's view on slavery.

Finally on February 14, 1859, in spite of the strained feelings upon the question of slavery, Oregon was admitted as a territory and the position of governor of. the newly created territory was offered to Abraham Lincoln. His wife not caring to leave her friends in Illinois, Lincoln declined the appointment and General Joseph Lane, who had distinguished himself in the Mexican war, was offered and accepted the place, thus becoming Oregon's first territorial governor.