A History of Oregon, 1792-1849 Part 25

On motion, the report was accepted.

It was then moved and seconded that the report be laid on the table, which was carried.

It was moved and seconded that the first resolution in the report of the committee be adopted, which was carried.

It was moved and seconded the a sum be raised by contribution for the protection of our animals, which was carried.

It was moved and seconded that the third resolution, as amended, be adopted, which was carried.

It was moved and seconded that two collectors be appointed to receive all subscriptions, retaining five per cent. for collecting the same, and pay the amount over to the treasurer, taking his receipt for the same, which was carried.

On motion, the fifth resolution was adopted.

On motion, it was resolved "that no one receive a bounty (except Indians) unless he pay a subscription of five dollars."

On motion, the seventh resolution was adopted.

On motion, the eighth and ninth resolutions were adopted.

It was moved and seconded that the Indians receive one-half as much as the whites.

It was moved and seconded that all claims for bounties be presented within ten days from the time of becoming ent.i.tled to said bounties, and, if there should be any doubts, the individual claiming a bounty shall give his oath to the various circ.u.mstances; which was carried.

On motion, W. H. Gray was chosen treasurer.

It was moved that Messrs. McRoy, Gervais, Martin, S. Smith, Dougherty, O'Neil, Shortess, and Lucie be the standing committee; which motion was carried.

It was moved that G. W. Le Breton and Mr. Bridgers be the collectors.

Carried.

On motion, the following resolutions were adopted:--

"_Resolved_, That no money be paid to any white, or his descendants, previous to the time of his subscription.

"_Resolved_, That the bounty of a minor child be paid to a parent or guardian.

"_Resolved_, That the draft for receiving subscriptions be drawn by Mr. Gray and Mr. Le Breton.

"_Resolved_, That drafts on Fort Vancouver, the Mission, and the Milling Company be received on subscriptions, as payment."

As a kind Providence would have it, the "wolf meeting" at Mr. Gervais'

house on the Wallamet River was one of the most harmonious meetings I ever attended. Every one seemed to feel that a unanimous war had been declared against the despoilers of our domestic animals that were dependent upon us for protection.

It was stated by one speaker "that no one would question for a moment that this was right. This was just and natural protection for our property in animals liable to be destroyed by wolves, bears, and panthers. How is it, fellow-citizens, with you and me, and our children and wives? Have we any organization upon which we can rely for mutual protection? Is there any power or influence in the country sufficient to protect us and all we hold dear on earth from the worse than wild beasts that threaten and occasionally destroy our cattle? Who in our midst is authorized at this moment to call us together to protect our own, and the lives of our families? True, the alarm may be given, as in a recent case, and we may run who feel alarmed, and shoot off our guns, while our enemy may be robbing our property, ravishing our wives, and burning the houses over our defenseless families. Common sense, prudence, and justice to ourselves demand that we act consistent with the principles we have commenced. We have mutually and unitedly agreed to defend and protect our _cattle and domestic animals_; now, fellow-citizens, I submit and move the adoption of the two following resolutions, that we may have protection for our persons and lives as well as our cattle and herds:--

"_Resolved_, That a committee be appointed to take into consideration the propriety of taking measures for the civil and military protection of this colony.

"_Resolved_, That said committee consist of twelve persons."

There was not a dissenting vote in that meeting. Drs. Babc.o.c.k and White were not present, but prudence and policy gave them both a place upon the proposed committee of twelve, while we knew the feelings of the balance of the committee.

Messrs. Dr. Babc.o.c.k, Dr. White, O'Neil, Shortess, Newell, Lucie, Gervais, Hubbard, McRoy, Gray, Smith, and Gay were appointed said committee.

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.

First meeting of the committee of twelve.--All invited to partic.i.p.ate.--The Rev. J. Lee and Mr. Abernethy ridicule the organization.--Mr. Lee tells a story.--Letter from Governor Abernethy.--The main question at issue.--Drowning of Cornelius Rogers and party.--Conduct of Dr. White.--Methodist Mission.--Catholic boasts of conversions.

By mutual understanding the committee of twelve first met at Wallamet Falls, about the middle of March, 1843. My impression is that Dr.

Babc.o.c.k was not present with the committee, and that Dr. White was chosen temporary chairman. G. W. Le Breton was secretary of the committee. A motion was made and carried to invite the citizens of the village to partic.i.p.ate in the deliberations of the committee. Rev. Jason Lee, Rev. Mr. Waller, Mr. Abernethy, R. Moore, in fact, nearly all the prominent men of the place, were present, and partic.i.p.ated in the discussions.

We found Rev. Jason Lee and Mr. Abernethy disposed to ridicule the proposed organization as foolish and unnecessary. Rev. Jason Lee in his argument ill.u.s.trated the folly of the effort, by telling us of a company of militia gotten up somewhere in Canada. He said "the requisite notice had been given, and all the people liable to military duty were present on the day to elect the officers required for the company. When they had elected all their officers, there was one private soldier left. 'Well,'

says the soldier, 'you may march me, you may drill me, you may face me to the right, or to the left, or about face, just as much as you please, but for mercy's sake don't divide me up into platoons.'"

Mr. Abernethy made a little attempt to ridicule the proposed organization, in moving to amend the resolution recommending three justices of the peace and three constables. We are now in receipt of an explanation from the governor in reference to the question of an independent government, as debated at the Lyceum, which we give _verbatim_, as it places the governor with his own explanation on that question, and I think gives us the correct statement of the case, and shows his policy, which was, to defeat not only the proposition for an independent government, but any effort for a provisional one, for at least four years,--which were not only the views of Mr. Abernethy, but those of Messrs. Lee, Leslie, Babc.o.c.k, and Hines:--

PORTLAND, March 11, 1866.

DEAR SIR,--Allow me to correct one statement in your History of Oregon in the _Gazette_ of 5th March. You speak of a debate in a Lyceum, and say: "Mr. Abernethy moved that in case our government did not extend its jurisdiction over the country in four years, that then the meeting would be in favor of an independent government." The facts are these: We had weekly meetings for discussion. Mr. Hastings, Dr. McLaughlin's lawyer, offered a resolution, "That it is expedient for the settlers on this coast to establish an independent government." This subject was warmly discussed, Mr. Abernethy being, with a few others, opposed to it.

At the close of the discussion the vote was taken and decided in favor of an independent government. Mr. Abernethy then offered the following: "_Resolved_, That if the United States extends its jurisdiction over this country within four years, it will not be expedient to form an independent government," as the subject for the next discussion. This was warmly discussed, many who voted for the first resolution saying if the United States government is extended over us, it is all we want, and voted in the affirmative.

The resolution was carried, and destroyed the effect of the first resolution.

You will see by this you have the thing all wrong.

Yours truly,

GEO. ABERNETHY.

P. S.--Dr. White, I think, was present; am not certain. This independent government move was a prominent scheme of Dr.

McLaughlin.

The main question at issue before the committee at the Falls meeting was the office of governor. Dr. Bailey was in the Sandwich Islands; nothing was to be feared from him; but Dr. White was, to say the least, an impudent candidate. I have been informed that Dr. Bailey, an Englishman, came to that meeting February 18, 1841, with all his French voters trained to vote for himself for governor, and that he nominated himself, in opposition to Mr. Hines and Dr. Babc.o.c.k, for that office, and conducted himself in such a manner that it disgusted some, and was the means of breaking up the proposed civil government, as what Americans there were then in the country found they would be outnumbered by the French and English (which was unquestionably the fact), and thus they would be completely at the disposal of English rule.

Such being the case, much credit is due to the men who defeated that effort, and I see no reason why Mr. Hines, in his account, and as an actor in those meetings, should attempt to give a different impression, and say that "the officers of the squadron were consulted, and were found to be decidedly opposed to the scheme." (Page 421 of his book.) This fact alone, and I have it from an actor and an eye-witness in the meeting referred to, is, to say the least, strange and unaccountable on the part of Mr. Hines. He either feared the influence of Bailey, or the truth, which he withheld in the case, and leaves a wrong impression upon the minds of his readers.

From the sickening, fawning, and contemptible course of Dr. White, the committee at the Falls meeting were induced to yield the point of an organization without an executive head, and by that means got a unanimous vote to call a public meeting to organize a provisional government at Champoeg, on the 2d of May, 1843. This was effort number one of February and June, 1841, over again. Those of us who commenced this move did not feel that we had gained much, still we hoped for the best and prepared for the worst as well as the meeting at Champoeg on the 2d of May, 1843.

We will let the provisional government rest till the 2d of May, 1843, while we take a look over the whole country, and at the actors in it, first stopping to drop a tear at the grave of our friends as we proceed.

On the 2d of February our best and most esteemed friend, Cornelius Rogers, with whom we had spent years of the kindest confidence and friendship, left our house for Oregon City, as his future residence and home, with his young wife, the eldest daughter of Rev. David Leslie, and her youngest sister. They took pa.s.sage down the river with W. W.

Raymond, a man who came to the country with the re-enforcement of the mission of 1839-40. He was at that time a member of the Methodist Mission, in good standing. Dr. Elijah White and Esquire Crocker, of Lansingville, Tompkins County, New York, were also in the canoe, one of the largest of Chinook manufacturing. They arrived all safe at Canemah.

It was let down stern first by a line, around a point of rocks just above the falls on the Oregon City side, since blasted away for a ca.n.a.l and boat channel. In the eddy formed by the point of rock a large tree had lodged, forming a convenient landing, and occupying a large portion of the eddy water, so that it was necessary for the canoe to remain close to the log for safety from the swift current. There were two Indians to guide the canoe into this landing, one in the bow and one in the stern. The one in the stern escaped by jumping from the canoe and catching upon a piece of drift-wood on a rock just above the fall.

White, as the canoe came alongside of the log upon which all were to land, being near the bow of the canoe, and not thinking, or perhaps caring, for any one but himself, jumped upon the side of the canoe, and with a spring, upon the log, before there was time for any one to secure the bow of the canoe, to prevent it from swinging into the current. The force of White's spring upon the canoe to reach the log threw it into the current, which was too strong for Raymond and his Indians to hold, and in a moment it darted into the middle of the channel, and the next moment was plunged broadside over the falls, some twenty-five feet perpendicular. The force of the current threw the canoe to the bottom of the fall, right side up, but the under-swell threw it back to the sheet of falling water, which filled and upset the canoe in an instant. All that went over were lost. Raymond, who had attempted to hold the canoe, came over the point of rocks (a difficult place) and found White upon the log, and that he had made no effort to relieve the drowning party.