The Quarterly
of the
Oregon Historical Society.
[The Quarterly disavows responsibility for the positions taken by contributors to its pages.]
SLAVERY QUESTION IN OREGON—II.
By T. W. Davenport.
Any account of the anti-slavery men of Oregon, which omits the name and services of Joseph Magone, is inexcusably deficient; for he was considerably above the average, physically and mentally, and though somewhat erratic at times, he performed valuable service for the Oregon people. In 1847 he received the appointment of Major of the volunteer force raised to punish the Cayuse Indians for the murder of Dr. Whitman and family, and thereafter was generally known as Major Magone.
The Major was of distinguished personal appearance, of unusual activity, energy and endurance, of chivalric instincts, acute perception, had a prodigious memory, was adroit in argument, forceful in speech, dearly loved controversy, and was generally present to take part on all occasions of a public nature permitting contests. Thus endowed, it would be strange if he had not loved argument for argument's sake, but there was considerable opportunity for the exercise of his faculties in advocating his opinions, which were, in great part, at variance with the habits of the times. His equal rights tenets were very broad, taking in all the tribes of men, women and children. Temperance, woman suffrage, education, never failed of his support, and his fealty to the principles in his category never wavered for the sake of political preferment, which, no doubt, would have pleased him, but which passed
