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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (July 17, 2019)
10A | WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 2019 | COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL Offbeat Oregon — Surge of confederate refugees changes politics By Finn J.D. John for The Sentinel The urban-rural divide in Oregon is something that’s gotten quite a bit of press recently, after a group of Re- publican lawmakers left the state to deny a quorum for a bill they opposed. But it’s a problem that’s been around, in Oregon, since well be- fore the place even became a state. And it probably hit its high-water mark in 1868, just three years after the Civ- il War — when an insurgent majority from the rural party actually voted to renounce the 14th Amendment to the Constitution — the one that guarantees equal protection under the law to all citizens, and establishes automatic birthright citizenship. In its earliest beginnings as a U.S. territory, Oregon was more or less divided into two broad categories of people: homesteaders from Missouri and surrounding states who arrived on the Oregon Trail, who tended to settle in the rural areas; and Yankee trad- ers and businesspeople from New England who arrived by ship, who established them- selves in the principal cities. On the great question of the 1840s and 1850s — slav- ery — the rural and urban Oregonians were essentially in agreement. The Yankee traders, of course, found slav- ery morally repugnant, not to mention unnecessary. And the homesteaders, although they came from slaveholding states, were adamant about keeping the institution of slavery out of the new state, not for moral reasons but for economic ones — they saw it as unfair competition. But the white pioneers, on both sides, were still very much products of their time — that is, unselfconsciously racist. And they didn’t want free blacks competing with them for land and resources. This, of course, is why the Territorial Legislature ap- proved the infamous “lash law,” by which black people, whether slave or free, had to report every six months for a beating until they took the hint and left the state. The lash law was never enforced, but it was on the books in 1844, and was fol- lowed by other, less egregious laws calculated to make it very clear that the opportuni- ties of the new Oregon lands were for whites only. And it’s also why Oregon was the only state to have entered the union with a racial exclusion clause in its actual constitu- tion — which, although not enforced, stayed on the books until the 1920s. That’s not to say the ur- ban and rural parties agreed about everything. Politically, the Yankees were Republi- cans and the Southerners were Democrats. That, obvi- ously, became a pretty hot is- sue in the run-up to the Civil War. Then, after the war, a tor- rent of what amounted to refugees started flooding into the state from the defeated South. Lots of Southerners who had gone into the war as respected members of their communities finished it as penniless tramps. Plen- ty of them, looking around their ruined and smoking communities, decided they had nothing to lose; so, they headed west, looking for new opportunities. With startling speed, the balance of power shifted in Salem. There followed some par- tisan wrangling as the dis- appointed Democrats tried to pass a resolution taking Oregon’s consent back. The Republican majority hasti- ly circled its wagons, called in its wandering voters, and defeated it. The ratification would stand. But the Republican major- ities in the House and Sen- ate — they would not stand, at least not for much longer. As more and more commit- ted Democrats poured into Oregon from the ravaged lands of the Confederacy, and more and more locals soured on Reconstruction, the once-dominant Republi- cans found themselves sud- denly on the outside looking in. And 1868 made it official: Dems outnumbered Repubs 13 to nine in the Senate, a 59 percent majority; and 30 to 17, a 64 percent edge, in the House. Upon arriving in the cap- itol in full control of the works, the new Democratic majority announced three main goals: (1) to force the state’s U.S. Senators, Repub- licans Henry Corbett and George Williams, to resign so that they could be replaced with Democrats; (2) to redis- trict the state in such a way as to, as historian Frances Fuller Victor put it, “increase the Democratic representation in certain sections and decrease the Republican representa- tion in others”; and (3) to re- scind the state’s ratification of the 14th Amendment. It was an ambitious agen- da. Corbett and Williams, of course, declined to comply with the demand for resig- nations — although in 1870 Williams came up for re-ap- pointment and could be, and was, replaced then. One assumes the gerry- mandering went according to plan, as it usually does; but it couldn’t have offered them too much protection, since the Republicans were back in power again four years later. But the rescission of the state’s approval of the 14th Amendment: that was the big one. The Democrats were basing their move on the claim that the amendment had never been legitimately ratified. The defeated South- ern states had all voted for it; but doing so had been a condition of readmission to the union. The Democrats felt that this was like enforc- 4U Simple Bookkeeping Accounting • Payroll Personal & Business Income Tax 1623 S. 6th Street, Cottage Grove 541-206-4703 Lic# B15742 Dentistry is our profession, people are our focus. Birch Avenue Dental Dentistry is our profession, people are our focus. Birch Avenue Dental 1325 Birch Ave. 541-942-2471 • General Dentistry • Implants ing a contract that had been signed at gunpoint. As far as they were concerned, the amendment had not yet been legitimately ratified, and un- til it was, anyone who wished to do so could withdraw their consent. So, just a day or two into the session, Sen. Victor Tre- vitt of Wasco County pro- posed the bill. The redoubtable Repub- lican Harvey Scott, editor of the Portland Oregonian, was neither slow nor subtle in his response to all this. “In making a raid on the Fourteenth Amendment, Sen. Tappertit Trevitt’s evi- dent object is to strike a blow at ‘[slur deleted] equality,’” he wrote on Sept. 24. In the same article, Scott also claimed that Trevitt had obtained his seat through “fraud and rascality.” On Sept. 28, Scott wrote a sarcastic article urging the Democrats to go ahead and abrogate the United States Constitution. Beriah Brown, editor of the staunchly Democratic Port- land Herald, responded the very next day with what has to be one of the most ironic statements ever to appear on a newspaper editorial page. He acknowledged that the • Financing 541-942-2471 Tammy L. McClung DDS • Park W. McClung DDS Looking to buy, sell, or invest? We are your local experts! Century 21 – Nugget Realty Principal Brokers: Linda Hartness and Linda Williamson 625 N. 9th Street | Cottage Grove 541.942.2121 team@c21nuggetrealty.com c21nuggetrealty.com Brokers: Mary Clure, Stephanie Ladd Green, Sue Finley, Lindy Magallanes, Zach Reeves, Kim Stokem, and Amanda Watts Offi ce Staff: Katie Springer and Debbie Szal For more information call 541-942-8770. facebook.com/CottageGroveGroceryOutlet SAVE 40-70% ON GROCERIES. BEAUTIFUL, HUH? Worship Directory COTTAGE GROVE: 6th & Gibbs Church of Christ 195 N. 6th St. • 541-942-3822 10:00am Christian Education: Pre-K through 5th www.6thandgibbs.com First Presbyterian Church 3rd and Adams St 541-942-4479 Rev.: Karen Hill Worship: 10:00am Sunday School: 10:00am fpcgrove.com Calvary Baptist Church 77873 S 6th St • 541-942-4290 Pastor: Riley Hendricks Sunday School: 9:45am Worship: 11:00am The Journey: Sunday 5:00pm Praying Thru Life: Wednesday 6:00pm Hope Fellowship United Pentecostal Church 100 S. Gateway Blvd. 541-942-2061 Pastor: Dave Bragg Worship: 11:00am Sunday Bible Study: 7:00pm Wednesday www.hopefellowshipupc.com “FINDING HOPE IN YOUR LIFE” Cottage Grove Faith Center 33761 Row River Rd. 541-942-4851 Lead Pastor: Kevin Pruett www.cg4.tv Full Childrenʼs Ministry available Services: 9:00am & 10:45am First Baptist Church 301 S. 6th st • 541-942-8242 Pastor: David Chhangte Sunday School 9:30am Worship Service 10:30am Youth Wednesday 6:30pm cgfi rstbaptist.com Come in for a FREE competitive market analysis today to see what your home is worth! As always no cover charge and 20 and under are welcome until 8:30 p.m. Ed & Kori Sowa Independent Owner-Operators Delight Valley Church of Christ 33087 Saginaw Rd. East 541-942-7711 • Pastor: Bob Friend Two Services: 9am - Classic in the Chapel 10:30am - Contemporary in the Auditorium With over 20 years of experience in the Cottage Grove market, we are ready to help you meet your real estate goals! EVENTS! Friday July 19, Jon Stinnett and Friends, 7:30-10:30 p.m. – Acoustic contemporary, originals, and fusion Saturday July 20 Jessy Bird and The Desert Sage, 7:30 p.m-10:30 p.m. – Americana/Progressive Country 200 Gateway Blvd. Cottage Grove, OR 97424 4 (541) 942-5400 Mon. - Sat. 8am - 9pm Sun. 9am - 8pm Cottage Grove Bible Church 1200 East Quincy Avenue 541-942-4771 Pastor:Bob Singer Worship 11am Sunday School:9:45am AWANA age 3-8th Grade, Wednesdays Sept-May, 6:30pm www.cgbible.org 1325 Birch Ave. Cottage Grove birchavenuedental.com OUT OF THE UNION!” The act directed that Ore- gon’s rescission be forwarded to the President and Secre- tary of State, and presumably this was done, although his- torian Johannsen was unable to find any documentation of it. Harvey Scott suggested that President Grant would “probably use it to light a cigar, while the copy sent to Congress either go under the table or on file as a curiosity in the room kept for the rebel archives.” In the end, Herald editor Beriah Brown was right. The passage of Oregon’s rescis- sion act had no effect at all, other than to sully Oregon’s reputation Cottage Grove Church of Christ 420 Monroe St • 541-942-8565 Sunday Service: 10:30am • Sedation vote wouldn’t likely change anything; but, he added, it would put Oregon on the right side of history, “as fa- voring a white man’s govern- ment.” Though in a tiny minori- ty, the Republicans managed to delay the vote on this box of dynamite for a week or so. But finally, on October 6, it passed on a straight par- ty-line vote. Scott was ready for them, and unleashed a five-deck headline on the second page: “THE ACT CONSUM- MATED! / Passage of the Secession Ordinance by the Oregon Senate! / The Dem- ocratic Party Repudiate the Constitution! / OREGON St. Philip Benizi, Creswell 552 Holbrook Lane Sunday 8:30 AM St. Andrews Episcopal Church 1301 W. Main • 541-767-9050 Rev. Lawrence Crumb “Church with the fl ags.” Worship: Sunday 10:30am All Welcome Seventh-day Adventist Church 820 South 10th Street 541-942-5213 Pastor: Kevin Miller Bible Study: Saturday, 9:15 am Worship Service: Saturday, 10:40 Mid-week Service: Wednesday, 1:00 Living Faith Assembly 467 S. 10th St. • 541-942-2612 Trinity Lutheran Church Worship Services Sundays: 9a & 11a 6th & Quincy • 541-942-2373 Youth Worship Sundays: 11a (all Pastor: James L. Markus ages welcome) Sunday School & Adult Education Mondays: 5:30p (6th-12th grades) 9:15am Sunday Worship 10:30 am Non-Denominational Comm. Kitchen Free Meal Tue & Thur Church of Christ 5:00pm TLC Groups 1041 Pennoyer Ave tlccg.com 541-942-8928 Preacher: Tony Martin United Methodist Church Sunday Bible Study:10:00am 334 Washington 541-942-3033 Sunday Worship:10:50am & 5:30pm New Pastor Craig Pesti- Strobel www.pennoyeravecoc.com Worship 10:30am umcgrove.org Old Time Gospel Fellowship 103 S. 5th St. • 541-942-4999 “VICTORY” Country Church Pastor: Jim Edwards 913 S. 6th Street • 541-942-5913 Sunday Service: 10:00am Pastor: Barbara Dockery Join in Traditional Christian Worship Worship Service: 10:00am Message: “WE BELIEVE IN Our Lady of Perpetual Help MIRACLES” and St. Philip Benizi Catholic Churches 1025. N. 19th St. 541-942-3420 Father John J. Boyle Holy Mass: Saturday Vigil – 5:30 PM Sunday – 10:30 PM For weekday and Holy Day of Obligation schedule see website OLPHCG.net Confession: 4 PM to 5 PM Saturdays or by appointment CRESWELL: Creswell Presbyterian Church 75 S 4th S • 541-895-3419 Rev. Seth Wheeler Adult Sunday School 9:15am Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am website www.creswellpres.org Our Worship Directory is a weekly feature in this newspaper. If your congregation would like to be a part of this directory, contact us today! S entinel C ottage G rove 541-942-3325 116 N. 6th Street Cottage Grove, OR
