, 1856-10-10
SPEECH OF
HON. J. P. ANDERSON,
OF WAsHINGTGN TERrIToRY,



the Whole on the state Of the Union, Mr.. ANDERSON
said
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: 1t is not my purpose to
enter upon a discussion of any of the polti-
cal topics Of the day. desire to discharge
duty which could moi have been perform.
ed at an earlier day Of the session, without
in some measure infringing upon the parlia-
mentary rules of the House. wish to
call the attention of the Committee and Of
the country to the condition of things as
they exist in the Territories Of Washington
and Oregon. 1t is not unknown to the
Committee, that for nearly twelve months
an Indian war has been raging throughout
the length and breadth of those Territories
"a cruel, merciless war, in which many
lives have been sacrificed and whole settle
ments devastated.
propose, first, sir, to inquire into the
causes which led to this war and in this
connexion we may ascertain l1ho is to blame
for its inception second, the manner in
which it has been conducted, both on the
part Of the civil and military departments
of the government exercising their proper
functions in those Territories and here
we will see what part has-been played by
the Governors and volunteers on the one
hand, and by the military commander Of
the Pacific department on the other And
lastly, shall advert to the relief which it
seems to me proper that Congress should
afford at an early day.
But before l proceed to inquire into the
causes of the war, beg pardon for dgress-
ing so far as to notice few remarks which
fell from the senior member from Ohio Mr..
Giddings) a few months ago, while the
Army appropriation bill was under discuss
ion. On that occasion he saw fit to alude
to the war in Washington and Oregon in
tone condemnatory Of the people of those
Territories, and, among other things, gave
us his idea Of the Indian character gener-
ally, and of those west of the Rock noun
tains in particular. Hear him: l read
from his corrected speech published in the
APPENDIX to the Globe, page 526: al
knew something of the Indian character in
early life; l saw them in the war of 1912;
many Of them were attached to our army /;
l studied their strategy Of war, and learned
something Of their conduct in times Of
peril they never forget kindness, nor do
they ever forgive an injury. No class Of
people in the world are more grateful for
tavors none
more docile, none more hospitable than
those Of Oregon" &C.
Now, sir, dislike to disturb such pleas
ing fancies. With all his experience and
astute observation, he has been sadly i'm
posed on in this particular. Such charac-
ters as he has described exist only in fancy.
They figure prominently in Cooper's novels
aud Hiawatha, but they never roam the
western wilds in flesh and blood. 1t will
be news, indeed, to those familiar with the
Indians of the far west, to learn that they
never forget kindness" My own expe-
rience is, sir, (and it is composed of three
years constant, daily intercourse with
them, that they never remember one and
l venture to assert that such is the expert
ence of nine-tenths of the white settlers in
my Territory. Let US see how far the ex-
perience and observation Of shrewd, OBJ
servant, and efficient officer of the army,
who has spent four or Eve years in the
midst Of these tribes, correspond with that
of the senior member from Ohio, (Mr. Gid
dings.) read from the report of Captain
Ingalls,, as published with the Messages
and documents, 1866, part 2, page 1872:
"This region of country from the lake
through to California is infested by nomadic
tribes Of Indians, generally of the lowest
order of beings. They are troublesome
and daRFerous to stock-drivers who yearly
pass over this route"
Again, on page l63 Of the same docu-
ment, Capt. ingalls, says: "They are like
the beasts that roam over these wilds.
little removed from them in instincts and
habits" And again, sir, on page 165, in
describing a certain spot, he says: Il
was charmed with the beauties Of the place,
though sadly reminded of the fate of poor
Captain Warner (who was massacred here J
by the numerous telegraph-fres of the
treaeherOus Indians" might go on, sir,
until l had consumed my whole hour in
reading extracts from the official reports Of
other officers of the army and of the Indian
bureau, to show that the gentleman is alto
gether mistaken in his estimate Of the
character of the northwestern Indians. !
could show that, so far from their "never
forgetting Kindness" their whole charac.
ter is composed of subtle compound oi
cruelty, vindictiveness, treachery and in
gratitude. shall not pretend to say what
the character of the Indians was with
whom the gentleman had to deal in early
life, but l do say that if he is correct in
his estimate of their virtues, there was O
marked improvement in the race from l776
to 1912, when the gentleman obtained his
experience. That instrument which is SC
often appealed to on this floor and else
where to prove that all men are created
free and equal " asserts, with no less empha
sis, of these people, that they are " merciles.
indian saudges, tohose kHOVn rule of toarfar,
is indistiHguished destruction Of all ages
se1ss, and conditions" Such was theiI