, 1859-09-16
Gen. IIarney'S Second Letter to Gov
Douglas.
HEAD-Q-ARrERs, DEPARTMENT OF OREGON,
Eul.I N.m....l-..nr w 7 ANN d lssz

Fort Vancouver, W. 7. Aug. "a, 1857.
HIS ExoELLEXcY, JAMES DOUGLAS, Q. b.,
G0rcrnor of VdHcourer'S LsiaM and lis de-
pcndcneies, TIce admiral oc Me same, etc.:
SIR: Il have the honor to acknowledge
the receipt of your communication of the
18th Instant, which came to me by mail
this morning The copy Of Mr.. Marcy's
despatch Of the l7th OF July, 1855, to Her
Maiesty's Minister at Washington, stated
in your communication TO be enclosed, was
not received This, presume, was an ac-
cidentdl omission in the transmission Of
your letter.
1t was with pleasure l received from
your Excellency q prompt disavSwal Of
any intention Of the part of the British au-
thorities of Vancouver's Island to commit
any nggressions upon the rights Of Ameri-
can citizens residing on San Juan Island,
and / desire to communicate to yon that /
shall forward this despatch by the first op
portunity\to the President OF the United
States, to enable him to consider it in con-
nexion with all the facts duly reported to
him, attending the occupation Of San Juan
Island by portion Of the troops under my
command.
Your Excellency has been pleased to ex-
press how anxious you have ever been to CO.
operate with the officers Of the United States
government in any measure which might
be mutually beneficial to the citizens of the
two countries aud your regret is signilied
that communication with you on the sub
ject of the occupation of San Juan Island
had not been sought during my late agree
able visit 10 your Exeellency at Victoria.
beg to offer in reply, that | have cor
daily recipocated the sentiments of friend
ship and good will you have manifested to-
wards American interests from the period
Of my service with this command. In that
time, have, on two different occasions, no
tilted the government Of the United States
Of your acts affecting our citizens in terms
of commentator and praise, as assurances
Of proper appreciation of the confidence
reposcd by my government in that of Her
Majesty. On my late visit to Victoria, ]
Was without knowledge that any occurance
had taken place on San Juan Island to
outrage the feelings Of its inhabitants, else
| should then have informed your Excel
lency what conceived it became incum-
bent for ME to do under such circumstances
The explanation which your Excelency
has advanced, while it serves to remove
the impression at first created Of a direct
action on the part Of the British authori-
ties Of Vuncouver's Island in the recent oc-
currences on San Juan Island against the
rights OF our citizens, does not expose
any evidence Of a preventive nature
to repetition of the acts which have
caused so serious misunderstanding in the
minds of the American people on San Juan
Island, nor has the course which events
have taken since the occupation of the Isl
and by the troops of my command, been
OF such character as to reassure these peo-
( pie, could the contents Of your despatch be
announced TO them.
From what has taken place | do not feel
myself qualified to withdraw the present
command from San Juan Island, until the
pleasure of the President of the United
States has been made known on the sub.
Ject. l can, however, frankly assure your
Exeellency that the same motives which
have induced me to listen to the appeals of
my own countrymen, will be exerted in
causing the rights of Her Maesty's sub
jects on San Juan to be held inviolate.
| have the honor to be, very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
W. S. HARVEY,
Brig Gen, commanding.