A History of Oregon, 1792-1849 Part 40

And we would suggest, in conclusion, that to preserve the peace, good order, and kind feeling, which have hitherto existed among the inhabitants of this country, depends very much upon the calm and deliberate judgment of this a.s.sembly, and we sincerely hope that Oregon, by the special aid of Divine Providence may set an unprecedented example to the world of industry, morality, and virtue.

And although we may now be unknown as a state or power, yet we have the advantages, by the united efforts of our increasing population, in a diligent attention to agriculture, arts, and literature, of attaining, at no distant day, to as conspicuous an elevation as any State or power on the continent of America.

But in order to carry this important measure, and arise to that distinguished station, it becomes the duty of every citizen of this country to take a deep interest in its present and future welfare.

As descendants of the United States and Great Britain, we should honor and respect the countries which gave us birth; and, as citizens of Oregon, we should, by a uniform course of proceeding, and a strict observance of the rules of justice, equity, and republican principles, without party distinction, use our best endeavors to cultivate the kind feeling, not only of our native countries, but of all the powers or states with whom we may have intercourse.

Signed, OSBORNE RUSSELL, P. G. STEWART.

Executive Committee of Oregon.

Dated, WALLAMET FALLS, Dec. 16, 1844.

To the honor of the country, Peter H. Burnett's negro-whipping law was never enforced in a single instance, against a white or black man, as no officer of the provisional government felt it inc.u.mbent upon himself to attempt to enforce it.

The proposed const.i.tutional revision was also strongly recommended by the Executive Committee, and the Legislative Committee went through the farce of calling a convention, and increased the number of representatives, and called it a Legislature. In fact, the whole proceedings seemed only to mix up and confuse the people; so much so, that some doubted the existence of any legal authority in the country, and the leading men of the immigration of 1843 denounced the organization as a missionary arrangement to secure the most valuable farming lands in the country.

The Hudson's Bay Company, under the guidance of James Douglas and P. S.

Ogden, carried forward their plans and arrangements by placing men at their posts along the line of the immigrant route, who were doing all they could, by misrepresentation and falsehood, to deceive and rob those who were journeying to this country.

But, says the sycophant, the early settlers of Oregon are greatly indebted to the Hudson's Bay Company for supplies of goods and provisions sent to aid the starving immigrants. General Palmer tells us (page 42) that flour at Fort Hall, when he came along, was twenty dollars per one hundred pounds; cattle were from five to twelve dollars per head. They could not be prevailed upon to receive any thing in exchange for their goods or provisions, except cattle or money.

Two to four cows, or two yoke of oxen for a hundred pounds of flour is _great generosity_, and renders the man who gives his last cow or ox to the company, under great obligations; as much so as the early settlers and the company's servants were in taking care of their cattle for the little milk they could get from them, the company claiming the cow and increase, and pay for any animal lost. This was Hudson's Bay Company's generosity to the early settlers!

They found that through the influence of Burnett, Newell, Pomeroy, and a few other Americans, they could accomplish more than by direct opposition, and therefore began to change their course, and manifest approval of the provisional government; so much so, that Ermatinger, a member of the company, was elected treasurer in 1845, in opposition to P. Foster, who served in 1844.

During the summer of 1844, Rev. George Geary arrived in the country, "clothed with discretionary power," and had the destiny of missionaries, laymen, property, and all, put into his hands. He superseded Mr. Lee.

Mr. Hines returned from the Sandwich Islands, and they proceeded at once to dispose of the missionaries and property of the Methodist Mission.

The stations at Clatsop, Nasqualla, and the Dalles were given up. That at the Dalles was sold to the American Board, that on Clatsop to Rev. J.

L. Parish, while the station at Nasqualla was abandoned by Rev. J. P.

Richmond, who, with Rev. Messrs. Kone and Frost, had become dissatisfied with their Indian missionary labors, and returned to the States. Rev.

Messrs. D. Lee and H. K. W. Perkins, Dr. Babc.o.c.k, and Mr. Brewer had all made up their minds to leave the country.

These missionaries, having enlisted in a cause surrounded, at the time of their engagements, with all the romance of early missionary life in the far west, as soon as they reached their field of labor, had found that romance and real life among the Indians did not accord with the feelings of their proud and supremely selfish hearts. They were not satisfied with silently withdrawing from the country, and encouraging others more capable and better adapted to the missionary work to come to it; but they joined with Dr. White, a bitter enemy of Rev. J. Lee, and succeeded in obtaining the latter gentleman's removal from the superintendency, and, through Rev. Messrs. Geary and Hines, the abandonment of their Indian mission.

As an outside eye-witness of these transactions, we will state frankly our impressions as to the general closing up of the Methodist missionary labors among the Indians. The special and general watchfulness of the Hudson's Bay Company, and their influence over the leading members of the mission, and the effort they made to counteract the moral and civil improvement of the Indians, was brought to bear both directly and indirectly upon the superior and subordinate members, the same as it had been upon the members of the missions of the American Board, and caused a division in sentiment as to the usefulness and results of missionary labor, and thus crippled their efforts, and caused many of them to join with Dr. White, and complain of Superintendent Lee, as an excuse to abandon the missionary work.

While these influences were working their intended results upon all the American missionaries, the Jesuits, having explored the country, under the patronage and by the a.s.sistance of the Hudson's Bay Company, were making extensive preparations to occupy it with their missionaries, who were then being collected, and sent from Belgium and Canada to Oregon, under the direction of that arch-Jesuit, P. J. De Smet, and Bishop Blanchet.

By the time they arrived, the Methodist Indian missions were all disposed of; thus enabling the Jesuits to fix their undivided attention and combine their united influence against the missions of the American Board, which all admitted were accomplishing a n.o.ble work among the tribes of their charge.

As Mr. Fitzgerald says: "But the company not only get rid of missionaries as soon as they can do so without dangerous unpopularity, but they obstruct them in the performance of their duties while in the country." (See page 189 of his work.)

This opposition to the missionaries was not caused by the Indians, but the personal opposition of the company, as proved by Sir J. Pelly's answer to the question, "Have you found a disposition on the part of the natives to receive moral and religious instruction." "Very great. There were a couple of young lads sent from the Columbia District, to whom the names of Pelly and Garry were given; these lads were revered by the natives, when they returned, for the religious instructions they were enabled to give." (See page 195, of the work above quoted.)

One Congregational and five Methodist ministers have left the country with their families. Five Jesuit priests and as many nuns are coming to it. Eight hundred emigrants are plodding their way over the mountains and plains with ox-teams, to find a home in this country. The sub-Indian agent has worked himself quiet. The Indians are waiting orders, watching the immigration, and getting ready to strike at the proper time.

Mr. Lease had brought a band of five hundred head of California cattle to the country and disposed of most of them to the Hudson's Bay Company.

The Oregon Printing-Press a.s.sociation was formed, and about eighty shares, at $10 each, were subscribed, and the money sent to New York for press, type, and paper, by George Abernethy, Esq., who, after the provisional organization in 1843, became a valuable supporter of all the best interests of the country. His integrity of character, consistent piety, and unbounded generosity, but few will question. From his position, and connection with the Methodist Mission, he has suffered much pecuniary loss, from men who were ever ready to take undue advantage of a confiding and generous disposition.

As a public officer he always held a negative position, the tendency of which was to hold all in suspense, and wait for some future action, or to be carried forward by events that might occur. He could not be called a leader in any civil, religious, or political measure, yet he truly represented, in his public capacity, the organization of which he was a member. So far as he was capable, he held in abeyance all laws and measures, to what he considered would be the policy of the United States government at some future time. The natural result of this position was, to accomplish nothing definitely. Hence we find in all his public acts, this tender spirit, and want of decided action.

Mr. Hines started for the United States by way of China. The property of the Methodist Mission was distributed, and the settlers had increased; while the Hudson's Bay Company were busily preparing to defend their a.s.sumed rights by arming their forts and Indians in a manner so as not to excite suspicion, or alarm the American settlements.

CHAPTER L.

Dr. White's report.--Seizure and destruction of a distillery.--Homicide of Joel Turnham.--State of the Territory.--Trials of Dr. White.--The liquor law.--Revenue act.--Case of the negro Saul.--The Indians kill an ox.--Other Indian difficulties.--Indian expedition to California.--Death of the Indian Elijah.--State of the Territory.--Claim of the Hudson's Bay Company on the north bank of the Columbia.--Letter of Peter H.

Burnett.--The Nez Perces and Cayuses.--Extract from the report of the United States Senate.

We give the following extracts from Dr. White's Indian report and proceedings in Oregon, that the reader may be informed as to what he claimed to be his influence, and also the way he maneuvered with the Indians and settlers; with his full account of the killing of the young Indian Elijah in California.

The letters from the different missionaries show the condition of the American missions at the time. Mr. Lee and the Jesuit missionaries did not deem him the proper agent to report to. Notwithstanding, in his report, given in a previous chapter, he attributes to the Jesuit missionaries improvements wholly made by the Americans, not from ignorance of the fact, but from personal prejudice.

It will be seen that the committee in Congress, to whom his report and pet.i.tion was referred, deemed it equitable and just on general principles, and allowed it.

WALLAMET, November 4, 1844.

SIR,--The Hudson's Bay ship _Columbia_ sailing in a few days, _via_ Sandwich Islands, for England, by the politeness of her owners I have the honor of again addressing you, and certainly under circ.u.mstances most favorable and gratifying.

Since my last, forwarded in March, aside from two or three incidents of an unpleasant nature, the colony and country have been in a state of unusual quietness, and the season has been one of great prosperity.

The legislative body, composed of nine members, met on the 24th of May, at the falls at Wallamet, and closed their short but effective session in nine days; having pa.s.sed, in due form, twenty-five bills, most of which were of importance to us in the regulation of our intercourse. A few of these laws I transmit to you, and would here remark, the taxes were in general cheerfully paid. The liquor bill is popular, and the laws of Oregon are honored.

The Liquor act not coming in force under sixty days from its pa.s.sage, a few individuals (having clandestinely prepared, before its pa.s.sage) improved this favored moment to dispose of all they could with any hopes of safety. Of this I was immediately notified, and hastened in from the Tualatin Plains, all the mischief, "as heretofore," being done in and about the town at the falls of the Wallamet.

Liquor was in our midst, as was but too manifest from the noisy, vulgar, obscene, and even diabolical expressions of those who had previously ever conducted themselves in a quiet and orderly manner.

This was perplexing and exciting, as all professed ignorance; and many opinions prevailed regarding the amount manufactured, and the number interested, and especially regarding the seat of mischief or point where distilled.

I resolved, at whatever danger or cost, to nip this in the bud, procured the call of a public meeting at once, and had the happiness to receive the following expression from all but one convened:--

"_Resolved_, That it be the sense of this meeting, that Dr. White, in his official relation, take such a.s.sistance as he may require, and forthwith search out and destroy all intoxicating liquor that may be found in this vicinity or district of country.

"P. G. STEWART.

"Executive Chairman.

"JOHN E. LONG, "Secretary."

I started with ten volunteers early the ensuing morning, and found the distillery in a deep, dense thicket, eleven miles from town, at three o'clock, P.M. The boiler was a large-size potash kettle, and all the apparatus well accorded. Two hogsheads and eight barrels of slush or beer were standing ready for distillation, with a part of one barrel of mola.s.ses. No liquor could be found, nor as yet had much been distilled.

Having resolved on my course, I left no time for reflection, but at once upset the nearest cask, when the n.o.ble volunteers immediately seconded my measures, making a river of beer in a moment; nor did we stop till the kettle was raised, and elevated in triumph at the prow of our boat, and every cask, with all the distilling apparatus, was broken to pieces and utterly destroyed. We then returned, in high cheer, to the town, where our presence and report gave general joy.