, 1858-07-23


INDIAN WAR DEBT.
De,irered in The House of Representatives,
May 1871, 1858.
Mr.. LANE, of Oregon, having yielded
the floor
Mr.. STEVENS, Of Washington, said:
1t is not my intention, Mr.. Chairman, at
this time, to occupy more than ten minutes
in discussing this bill | Will state first, in
regard to it, that it proposes to reimburse
Governor Douglas, Of Vancouver Island,
for supplies furnished by the Hudson's Bay
Company, at Victoria, their post on that
Island. l am glad that such bill has
been brought before this committee to pay
for supplies furnished by the people of a
foreign Jurisdiction, to the suffering inbab-
itants of Oregon and Washington Terri
tories, because can, and every gentleman
here can, refer to them as witnesses of the
condition Of our country at that time. l
am glad to refer to the fact that Governor
Douglas and myself are personal friends
We have often conferred in personal inter
views and by letter, in relation to the
measures requisite to defend the sparse po-
pulation of that coast And it is to me q
heartfelt pleasure, on this floor, that /, as
the executive of one of those Territories,
baye his emphatic testimony that the course
taken in that Territory was the only course
which could have protected those settle
ments, or which could have prevented their
depopulation. And l thank God that this
bill now before the committee, gives me the
opportunity to refer to this judgement,
coming, as it does, from an entirely disin.
terested source.
Mr. Chairman, l will not trouble the
committee by going back to the old troubles
and trials, and conhictsSof Judgment, that
have taken place in regard to this war. 1t
is sufficient for me that l stand here on the
rock of truth, and / defy any man to gain
say my statements. / go not now to the
reports which speak of outrages of whites
upon the Indians-which speak Of that war
having been forced upon us by the bad
people, and which accuses us of getting up
that war for the purpose Of speculation.
When l went to that country, in 1858,
Mr.. Chairman, and travelled across the
plains, visited, ou my way to Puget
Sound, nearly every Indian tribe from the
mouth Of the elbow Stone to the Pacific
Ocean. When / saw the relations existing
between the white man and the Indians,
was astonished. moo fe'm I'd
was astonished, for l was not from
tiersman. / had up to that time, seen no
thing of Indians, aud but little Of our
frontier population. Still l had a preju-
dice that there was much Of wrong in the
relations between the two people; but /
found that their relations were those of
kindness and of good Offices. And here, in
proof ofthat, will mention one fact. 1t
is known to gentlemen that was the IUdi-
all Superintendent, as well as the executive
Of Washington Territory. l had frequent
complaints made by Indians that white men
would not pay their debts; and the inVari-
able course pursued was simply to address
note to the settler, requesting him to set
tie the account, and it was done in every
case brought to my notice, except in the
case of single person, who went off be-
tween two days, and who is not now in our
Territory We have got rid Of him; and
bis acts, therefore, should not inure to the
i'll of the Territories Of Washington or
Oregon. .. al... a
Mr.. Chairman, the honorable gentle
man from Oregon, whom | am proud to
refer to here as my friend, has told you the
simple facts in regard to the origin of that
war was not in the settlements at the
time, but was upon the head waters of the
Missouri. The war came upon the people
of the Territories like thunderboltN In
our Territory there were not at that time
two hundred private arms; and we were
only able to obtain arms for three or four
hundred men, by borrowing them from the
Decatur, and from the arsenal at Vancouv-
er | refer to this fact us conclusive proof,
showing how utterly unprepared the people
were for these Indian outbreaks.
N do not intend, sir, to go into any dc
tailed account of this Indian war, but l
propose to mention one or two striking aud
significant facts. The honorable gentleman
from Oregon has referred to me as a wit
ness in relation to the ardous services Of
the volunteers Of Oregon in the interior.
When heard of the breaking out Of the
war, went over to the settlements from
the head waters of the Missouri, as fast as
broken down animals, and the difficulties
of the road, would enable me to make my
way. Coming through, it became my duty
in regard of the Indian tribes, that had not
broken into war, to meet them, and, as
their father, being superintendent OF Indian
affairs, to endeayor to persuade them to
continue peaceful. Imet tribes numbering
some seven thousand souls, and having
nearly two thousand warriors, and those
tribes maintained their fidelity thToughoui
| the war From them learned many Of
the causes of hostility, aud of the unmit-
igated hostility of many Of the Indian chiefs.
When | met the Oregon volunteers on the
field of Walla Walla, be sure there was q
most cordial and hearty welcome between
US. Sir, to those volunteers, under Heav-
en-, l probably owe my life; for had but
a party Of twenty-five men with me, and
/ Ia l. -. g. l.o