Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/389

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Slavery Question in Oregon. 361 Avho, after inspecting it, asked with fearful emphasis, "Why, man, do you want to see blood run here in Phoenix ^ ' ' "Oh, no, my friend, this is to dispense with blood letting." But he did not sign, then. The next man I presented it to was a Breckenridge Demo- crat, who was called One- Armed Tabor. I told him of Oat- man's fears, to which he replied, "When it gets so that an American citizen is afraid to raise his country's flag, it is time for him to go down into his boots, and 1 am not there yet." My brother, John, Orange Jacobs, S. E-edlich, a Jew (the Jews were all loyal), signed, and later Mr. Oatman— who was no part of a coward— reconsidered his hasty speech, assisted in raising the pole and flag, and later in recruiting a military company of which he became First Lieutenant. The news went abroad, subscriptions came without asking, and as a surplus was undesirable, many had to be refused, but were permitted to sign as honorary members. A Dutchman by the name of Barnyburg procured a 100-fooi pole from the mountains, and Mr. Redlich and I stood guard over it of Jiights until patriotic women had made the flag. In the meantime, the enemy came with a protest. A Mr. Wells, well known in the county, a very strong Southerner, came to the store of Redlich and Goldsmith, where I was employed, to inform us that the flag-raising would not be permitted. Bje introduced the subject in this style, "I hear that you are intending to raise a Yankee flag here in Phoenix next Satur- day, and I came to tell you that it will cause blood to flow. ' ' I said, "Mr. Wells, you have been misinformed, the flag we shall raise is not a sectional flag, but the flag of the Union you have marched under many a time and shouted for much oftener." "Oh, that's a Yankee rag now, and it is not mine." At this juncture George Woolen, who sat near, put his big hand upon Mr. Wells' knee and, looking him squarely and almost fiercely in the face, said, "Mr. Wells, that flag will go up Saturday and woe be to the man who raises his hand