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As It Was: Southern Oregonians favored pro-slavery presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln statue in Lithia Park, Ashland. Photo courtesy of Southern Oregon Historical Society, image No. 18525 Wednesday Oct 5, 2016 at 7:07 PM Oct 5, 2016 at 7:07 PM By Kernan Turner Southern Oregon Historical Society Presidential elections in Oregon date back to 1860, when Abraham Lincoln’s victory foreshadowed the Civil War. A year earlier Oregonians had rejected slavery and entered the Union as a free state, but the divisive slavery issue hung over the elections.  Abraham Lincoln ran as a Republican. The Democratic Party had split into two camps at its national convention, with pro-slavery Southerners nominating John Breckinridge of Kentucky and Northern Democrats choosing Stephen Douglas as their candidate. Breckinridge’s vice presidential running mate was pro-slavery Sen. Joseph Lane, Oregon’s first territorial governor and brigadier general in the Rogue River Indian Wars.  In Oregon, 14,761 voters cast their ballots, favoring Lincoln by only 270 votes over Breckinridge. Douglas came in third. In Southern Oregon, Breckinridge won in Josephine, Jackson and Douglas counties. Coos and Curry counties favored Douglas. Breckinridge became a major general in the Confederate army, and Douglas supported the Union. Lane’s pro-slavery and secessionist sympathies ended his political career.  The Oregon Sentinel of Jacksonville warned immediately after the election of “impending dangers” and “the urgency of being a perfectly united people.”  The Civil War ignited within a year.  Sources: “John C. Breckinridge.” Wikipedia. Viewed at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Breckinridge; “Votes Cast for U.S. President 1860-2008.” Oregon Blue Book. Viewed at http://Bluebook.state.or.us/state/elections/elecdtions08.htm; The Oregon Sentinel. Jacksonville, Ore. Jan. 19, 1861. Viewed scanned copy at http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn84022657/1861-01-19/ed-1/seq-2/; “Joseph Lane.” Wikipedia. View at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Lane#Oregon_territory_and_statehood. As It Was is a co-production of Jefferson Public Radio and the Southern Oregon Historical Society. As It Was stories are broadcast weekdays on Jefferson Public Radio and are available online at asitwas.org.