Book excerpt: A history of Oregon without Jesse Applegate would be like Exodus without Moses. Like Moses, Jesse led pioneers through the wilderness across the Oregon Trail in 1843. Like Moses, he was a law-giver, and like Moses, when proper provocation occurred, he sometimes threw down the tablets.Jesse Applegate, A Dialogue with Destinygives a comprehensive historical perspective to the life of this interesting, complicated man who played a major role in the formation of Oregon. Throughout his amazing life, he led the 'cow column' of '43 west to Oregon, wrote the constitution of '45, played a major role in the solving of the Cayuse War, led the expedition to find a new southern route in'46, and fought to keep Oregon free of slavery. But perhaps even more important was the moral compass he provided for the emerging Oregon society. Through his letters to editors of newspapers and to prominent political figures, he provided comment, council, criticism, and loyal opposition to those in power. His opinions were sought by local, state and federal leaders, as well as the historians of the day.