History never
repeats itself, but it rhymes.
— Attributed to Mark
Twain
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| Mark Twain |
Mark Twain may or
may not have said it, but he does get the credit and, whether history repeating
or rhyming is a good or a bad thing — well, that’s for you to decide.
I’m guessing you may
have heard about the California man who recently said he wants to divide
California into three states. You may also have heard about the latest attempt
to merge part of Northern California with Southern Oregon and make a brand new
state — the State of Jefferson.
Would you believe
there’s nothing new under our sun?
Take California.
Months before its admission as a state in September 1850, there were demands it
be divided into north and south. Proponents said it was an issue of economics
and better political representation, while the opposition believed it was an
attempt to bring slavery to the West Coast.
There were calls for
constitutional conventions to address the issue, and in 1852 a San Francisco
representative actually suggested dividing the state into thirds.
Well, now the ball
was really rolling. In quick succession came announcements that from a large
portion of Northern California, a State of Klamath, and then a State of Shasta,
would be formed. That’s when Oregon joined in.
Still a territory in
search of statehood in 1853, Oregon had just seen its northern portion taken
away with the formation of Washington Territory. By the end of the year, future
Oregon senator General Joseph Lane was in the nation’s capital asking that
Oregon be divided north and south, along a line just south of today’s city of
Eugene.
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| Joseph Lane |
Immediately, State
of Klamath advocates in Northern California joined with enthusiastic Southern
Oregonians under a battle cry of, “Let us have a New Territory!” On Jan. 25,
1854, the two groups formally met in Jacksonville.
Held in Dr. Jesse
Robinson’s hotel, 21 delegates, representing both states, resolved to make
every effort to prevent formation of an Oregon State Government based on
current territorial boundaries.
Capt. Robert Emmet
Miller argued that a new territory and eventual state finally would get
congressional attention to the needs he felt were being ignored. “We have a
good and generous government that would scorn to neglect any of her citizens
like Southern Oregon and Northern California have been neglected.”
Joseph Lane and the
majority of Northern Oregon legislators disagreed.
There were more
meetings over the next few months, but nothing changed. Over the next century
and a half, California would see over 200 more attempts to divide the state and
Oregon would see at least a few dozen more.
So, maybe history
rhymes and maybe it doesn’t. And maybe Mark Twain said it and maybe he didn’t.
“It is not
worthwhile to try to keep history from repeating itself — for man’s character
will always make the preventing of the repetitions impossible.”
Yeah — that one Mark
said, for sure.
You see, Twain
always had that “optimistic” take on humanity.
