Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1845-08-29

Remuneration Of that beautiful corn,. u The
United States, all Eyes will be tu,na1 70 the
Oregon question: now pending betwss. me
country and Great Britain. Everv ~; "'
information bearing upon the populs,;a" 0
climate progress and final destiny Of ,hs '0'I'
glon of country which lies between tho To-
Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. can,". Osss
to interest the reading community in ,hs,, 'aA
ted States. We therefore think tina, w. onh
be doing as well for our readers. bv Will
ing them with the following letter. G ghlesen.
rectness of which may be relied onl WIZ SNe Co..
find in our exchange papers: '" We
From the Platte Argus, Ap,n..
OREGoN-Lstter from Peter II. Bar usus'2!
The following letter was received r"s Esq.
by citizen of this county, from M @Sp,e'day&
by the way of Oahu, and Forwarded ppS'hss,
American Consul. The details will h. y The
ed interesting by his old friends and u uetn'
bors. and are indeed of importance to al gn'
take an interest in the affairs of Oreoon VINO
FALATINE PLAINS, OREsoy
November 4. 1874.
The emigrants are now
arriving. and will all be here in few u ualy
at farthest, and expect to receive o,be, 1 en-
ters and papers, which | am informed .,o g"
the way have now an opportunity to WV; W.
hasty letter, as one of H. B. Co.'s shin ~
Columbia, leaves Vancouver in few dr. ~, , az
the Sandwich Islands. '
Our country is most beautiful, fertile ~,
we'll watered, with the most equabe and n I"u
SAINT climate. Our population is raoidlrr re; g
creasing, and the country is maxine aroa; ~
gress in wealth and refinement. ihsvo nl po
yet before seen a population so ndus,y;on.'
sober and honest as this. know many, vs,
ry many young men, who were the veris.,
vagabonds in the States, who are here resueo
table and doing exceedingly well. Ourcr
the past year Q844) have been mos, bcupr.
fol. and we have not only full supply If
wheat for our consumption, but large oman.
tity for expectation. Large numbers Of cattle
are raised here, which are never fed or shel
tered. Many men have from three TO four
hundred head of cattle. Sheep can be had
here in any desirable number, as the H. B.
Company have large flock, and many private
individuals have them.
Ere this reaches you, perhaps you will have
learned that we have regular government in
most successful operation in Oregon. When
first reached this region, about year ago, |
thought any attempt at organization might be
premature. had not. however, been here
long. before it was conceived that govern.
ment Of some kind was inevitable. 1t grew
out Of stern, invincible necessity. Our com.
mercial and business transactions were con-
siderable. Difficulties were daily occurring
between individuals, in relation TO their
'claims,' the estates of deceased persons were
lost hoir> Dl,or Y,lC
ed; crimes were committed, and the base and
unprincipIed. the reckless and turbulent, Were
hourly tram ling upon the rights of the honest
and peaceable. A civilized population, nv
merons as we were, could not exist without
government. The thing was impossible-
We, therefore, organized government Of our
own.
We had no money, no mesns-1 was a
member Of the Legislature. | had most Of
the business to do. We passed tax bill, ap.
pointed an assessor, and permitted every man
not to pay tax, if he chose so to do, but if
he did not pay, being able, we debarred him
from suing in the courts as plaintiff. Al the
same time, we passed acts to protect all bona
fde settlers i'm their Charms to the amount Of
$40 acres. The tax bill operated like charm
Nearly all the whole population paid without
hesitation. We selected tall East Tennes
sean, Joseph l.. Meek, for our sheriff. He
had been in the mountains with William l.
Sublet.e for eight OF ten years, is exceedingly
good humored, very popular, and as brave a
JuIins Cesar. The very frs. warrant he ha
delivered to him, was issued for The aPpTf
henson of a very quaIFeIsoDe and tnrhuIPn
IN. who resisted Meek with bFnad-axt
but Meek, presenting a cooked pistol. took tn
fellow, s,oiens yolens. The next, and only cas-
Of serious resistance TO our laws. was on ln
part of Joel Turnkam, of Mo-, SOD Of Ma,
Turnham. Of Clay county. He had assauhe
an individual. and w.rrant was ,ssaeo Dy
Justice Of the peace. Turnham was hlmsf
constable, and John EdInonds was dePut'ze
TO arrest him. Turnham resisted With 'ars
; butchers knife; but Edmonds had psi
with six barrels we'll charged. He shot Bur
ham four times, the last ball entering aeo'
the temple, wien he Immediately explre6'-
These are all the distractions to the admins
tration of justice we have had, and In TX
mond's case, he was fully jnstifable in KILN
, Turnham, even if he had no warrant, as
assaulted him first, and pursued him with gTe'
violence to the last.
We have now five counties, and two term
] of the circuit court in each county in ever
: year. We have but one Judge, who dIschaI
ges the duties of probate judge. chancellor
and what not; in fact, we have only as ye
circuit courts and justices of the peace. OII
government was intended only as provisional;
: to exist until some regular government cOO'e
be established. We adopted the statute law
: of Iowa, where applicable to our condition anc
4 no: modified by our Legislature. :,
: We are now waiing most anxiously tor ~
result Of Pakenham's mission, and it the wv
governments have not settled the question "
tween them, the moment that fact is Knofn
there will be one universal movement mSds
A regular convention will be held, and 81 pn
1t stitutlon adopted, (repubican no douR}S1 p
= an independent government put IN att %o
at once. Necessity will compel 30 t )
step. The population Of this 9JTai:e l
IS doubt DESTROYS to live nnderg noJ
) of the United States, butS d