, 1860-04-27
Statement Of the Oregon and Washington Dele
cation in relation TO the War Claims Of Ore
gOn and Washington.

The citizens of Oregon and Washington
call upon Congress to make immediate pro-
vision for the payment of their claims, as
adjusted by law, for expenses incurred in
the years 1855 and 1885, in repelling In
dian hostilities.
The following statement is submitted to
show the obligation which rests upon Con
gress to make the provision called for,
without further delay, caVil, or question :
The preamble Of the Constitution of the
United States declares that it is establish
ed and ordained to insure domestic tran
guilty, provide for the common defence,
aud to promote the general welfare The
fourth section Of the Constitution enioins
the United States to protect each State Of
the Union against invasion. 1t is de-
clared by writers on natural law, that
the right Of selfdefeuce is q part of the
law Of our nature it is the indispensable
duty of civil liberty 10 protect its members
in the enjoyment Of their rights both Of
person and property" The right of a
State 70 engage in war, when actually in.
vaded, or in such imminent danger as will
not admit Of delay, is admitted in the Con.
stitution and in all cases where the mill
tia forces Of State or Territory have been
employed to resist invasion or suppress In
dian hostilities, the expenses incurred by
the States and Territories in such defence
have been assumed by the general govern
ment Whenever the citizens Of State
or Territory volunteer to resist invasion or
suppress sudden Indian hestilities, they do
1t on the faith Of the Obligation TO make
compensation for their Services, imposed
upon Congress by the first principles Of the
social compact, by the Constitution, and
the invariable policy of the government.
1t is historical fact, incapable Of refu-
tation, that the distant Territories Of Ore
gon and Washington in, the year 1855,
were actually invaded by hostile Ind-
ans; that the Territories were in such i'm.
minent danger as would not admit of de.
lay" in opposing the aggressions. The
hostile Indians had made such combina-
tons as to be able to commence their rava-
ges OF the extremes of the Territories on
the same day. The progress of the war
was so rapid, and the scene so bloody aud
terrible, that it was matter Of uncertain
ty in the minds Of the people of the Terri
tories whether the Indians, numbering
nearly $4,000 in both Territories, would
not be able to destroy the entire settle
ments. NFhe war was spread from the AID
to the 46th parallel and from the shores
OF the Pacific to great distance in the
interior, and could be only checked and
ended by the promptest organization and
the, most decided handling of the citizen
troops Of the country.
That the war was one Of invasion by the
hostile tribes is declared by the united tes-
timony Of the people Of Washington and
Oregon, and is confirmed by dsinterested
testimony from official sources. It's off.
cially shown that volunteers 10 those Ter
rtories came into service in consequence
Of the attacks Of an overwhelming force Of
Indians upon the troops of the regular SER
vice, in virtue of q requisition Of the officer
in command Of the military district, and
because the regular troops were inadequate
to protect the settlements and bring the
war to conclusion So inadequate was
the force of regular troops, and SO immi-
nent was the danger to the whole commu-
nifty, that volunteer company raised for
the field was detailed for the defence Of
Fort Steilacoom, in charge of regular
troops. Lieut.. Nugen, in command of
that post, took the responsibility of raising
a company of forty men, under Capt Wal
lace, and then wrote to the adjutant gen.
eral of the volunteers, expressing the trust
that the acting Governor would approve
his action. He says, in his letter Of 0cto-
Der 81, 1856:
/ have the honor to state that have
called upon the citizens of Pierce county
for one company Of volunteers to act against
the Indians on White river and vicinity,
who have been numbering our citizens p
In letter Of November l, 1855, to Adju.
tant Gen. Tilton, he says: 1 would re.
spectfully request that all the men in this
section OF country be called out, as | am
firmly of the belief that we are to have O
general Indian war in this vicinity"
Mr.. ]. Ross Browne, special agent oI
the government sent to the Pacific coast
to examine into the condition Of the Indiah
relations in that quarter, says: "The ori
gin Of the war was not different from that
of any other Indian war. 1t is the natural
result of emigration and settlement.
A war took place, an expensive and disas
trous war, from the effects of which the
Territories will suffer many years. Neither
the commanding officer Of the military de
Partment, nor the citizens of the Terrific
rles, in my opinion, could have prevented
II. - 1t was q war Of destiny, bounC
70 take place whenever the causes reached
Their elimination. Although occasiona
nostilites have been engendered between
sne whites and particular tribes Of Indiani
ln every State Of the Union by individua
acts OF oppression on the one side or tht
otner, the history of our Indian wars viii
snow that the primary cause is the prog
reSs OF civilization, to which the inferior
races, from their habits and instincts, arr
naturally opposed" The whole report o
nj. Browne shows that the people of Ore
son and Washington were driven into 6
O'oody war, unavoidable on their part