, 1856-03-07

lOTul lTOm our mluSt. has Ine age o
witchcraft and superstition come back
Are we to be so bigoted as to say that M
man shall teach the gospel unless he is 9
citizen of the United States If the sub
ject was not so serious, it would be simply
an absurdity. Our organic act allows mer
to become voters on declaring their inten
ton, and to have oil the privileges common
to citizens. One of the members of this
House has not completed his citizenship
yet he has the same rights as other mem
bers, and by no law can you deprive him o
these rights. Why then attempt to go Sc
far in this law, if it is not the intention oi
the trainers to entirely eradicate a certain
class of men from our soil ? Every one oI
the priests has already declared lis inteu-
tions, or, as it is termed, has taken out his
first papers Of naturalization, and only
awaits the specified number of years to
complete them. Laws unequal in their
bearing and unjust in their prescription,
can never be enforced. Could you set
aside its utter unconstitutionality it would
still remain only a dead letter law upon
your statue book, a stigma that would take
many long years TO eIace. ...-.r
One member, however, has had the cool
assurance to say it was not intended to re-
fer to the priests especially, and then shows
the absurdity Of his statement by denounc-
ing them. In the name Of common sense,
will he inform me to whom else can it pos
sibly have reference? Does he apprehend
its utter defeat and already seeking some
shelter from the obloquy of the measured
1t reads, An act to prevent aliens from
acting as teachers or missionaries amongst
the Indians" and to say in its provisions,
that none but ctizeus-not those who have
declared their intention to become such
they are expressly excluded by the word
citizens-shall be allowed TO act in that
capacity. There is not to my certain
knowledge, any other class that can be eE-
fected by this bill, since there is not a soli-
tary teacher or missionary in Washington
territory, from the Rocky mts. to Cape
Disappointment, who is not Of that demon
ination, and who would not be, il it could
be enforced, affected by it.
The last protestant ministers were Walk
or, amongst the Spokanes, aud Spaulding,
amongst the Nez Perces. They left in the
year ls4S, and though l believe one Of
them, the last one mentioned, has made an
onslaught on the priests. accusing them ol
having been the instigatOrs of the lament
ed Whitman massacre, yet that accusation
has been so completely refuted that it is
unnecessary to occupy the time Of this
house in re-statiDg evidence with which |
doubt not the majority Of the members are
familiar.
desire to speak only OF the present In
dian war and the causes Of it.
That act says it was brought about by
the alien missionaries and teachers amongst
the Indians. That assertion l meet upon
the threshold, and fatty contradict. Let
US have the proofs, how and when and
where!
When the answer is given to these ques-
tions, then l may agree with the gentle:
man--till then eau only believe it to be
mere assertion, cngendercd by prejudice
and unsustained by the slightest Vestige Of
truth. 3
throw aside the himsy texture Of q
object with which it is sought TO be en-.
yelled, by the statement made that it re
fers to the Hudson's Bay Company as well
as the priests, that the two are mutually
connected.
A strange wedding-Scotch covenant
ers and Catholicism. That plea will scare
ly do. The last resort Of political juggle.
ry, is the seeking to effect the accomplish
ment Of q bad object by giving it the fas
cination Of a good intent.
1t can in no way affect the Hudson'i
Bay Company, since they are traders and
this refers, and refers only to missionaries
aud teachers amongst the Indians.
1t was originally my intention to present
a brief and succinct history Of the missions
from their first establishment west Of thu
Rocky mountains, to their present date
but my attention to other matters has pre-
vented my making the research necessary
for a compendium Of the same.
l would refer, however, all who feel anl
interest on this subject to the narratives 0
every government officer who has beer
amongst them. Their conduct has beef
the theme Of praise from all.
There are amongst our every day &C
auaintances many who visited the Colvill
mines last summer, some Of whom went b,
the Ceur d. Aleine mission. ask then
what was the treatment they receivedY
Was not every man received with a cor
dial welcome? food set before him, ant
where it was needed, out of their scant.
stores, garments and suppliesI All thi
without cost. l was myself at that mis-
sion last September; and while there, quit
number Of miners arrived on their wa,
to the mines. Some Of them, poor fellows
weary, foot sore and disheartened. l cal
never forget the many little acts of kind
ness shown them by the good Father Raw
ALI and the others at that place, and hoy
the next morning, as they crossed the ridg
that shut out the valley from their view q
turned to take last look at the mission
and from oil was sent back the hearties
expression Of kind wishes and warr
j thanks.
| II u af th