Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-09-22
American Settlement Of Oregon.
1913.
Formation IF the Provisional Govern-
ment.

Of the Provisional Govern-
ment.
Despite the failure of TIE govern /
mental expo rinrnt of Al, the Amer /
lean settlers had not abandoned !
their purpose. During 1912, they
had invited the Canadians To unite |
with them in organizing Ii Temporary .
south of the Columbia
rlv-r. Those British subjects, APP
prehensiye that it might Interfere
with their allegiance. remained pas
sive
The experiment of II had on
ginatod With the Met holds; ,...,., II,
or rather It's most prominent m'n-
bcrs. aud the ui,u was still SO fos
tered by its leading members as to
cause it to he regarded As IA mission
airy movement. The agitation had
more or less continued at Wdllamet
Falls, now Oregon City; the lyceum
selected questions foi public debate
hearing upon political organization
Of the territory, the prominent clti-
zens nil participated i'll the discus
sion; !. resolution favoring pro-
visional government had been zeal
ously debated; by Il large majority
such proposition had been pro-
nounccd ineXpedient.
Among the popular leaders some
favored government independent
of both Great Britain and the Uni
ted States, sort of Pacific Repub-
lie. Lansford W. Hastings, of the
immigration of 1912, afterwards
distinguished as a Judge III Califor-
nia) offered the resolution, "That it
is exrroii"m for the settlers upon the
Pacific Coast to establish Al indie
pendent government. t." The good
George Abernethy, OreSous first
Governor, championed the oppos-
tie side. Warmly was the scheme
discussed, earnestly combated, but
by a large majority thst resolution
was adopted. TO check this Incl
pient disregard for Union and Ma
tional integrity, Abernethy intro
duced for the next debate:
RcSoIrcd, That if the United States
extends its jurisdiction over this
country within the next four years
it will not be expedient to form an
independent government"
The discussion and decision We're
more patriotic, a healthier American
feeling appeared. This resolution,
which bieathed the sentiment,
"wait little longer" passed by
large majority, and was really an
index of the feeling of the Ameri-
can population. Those pioneers
wanted no Pacific Republic, and
there and then was an end put to
what has since been called by one
of those early patriots 1" The
seces len movement of Oregon. !"
Happily it had embraced but very
few, and the reign of disaffection
was short lived.
With the influence of immigrants
in ~, had the Americans been uni
ted upon any scheme, they had become
the majority of the white population
in Wallamet valley. 1t was but ma
tural that the Canadians should not
desire to cooperate IN movement,
the object of which if successful
necessitated their submission to law
and restraint imposed by citizens of
a rival nation, and this too, at time
when their own country and that
rival were actually contending for
the title to the soil, and the success
Of that contest possibly depending
materially upon the nationality of
the actual settlers. Nor can those
American settlers be criticized for
an opinion SO thoroughly justified
leading them to hesitating to join
in hurryiug into existence a govern.
ment designed to occupy only a
portion of the territory, and in tina,
portion to include only those resi-
dents or settlers, who rOluntarih
accepted it's authority. Such was
the mixed condition of affairs, the
mixed allegiance of the settlers, the
mixed opinions as to what was
needed, aud how the proper plan
was to be reached aud consum.
mated.
An avowed attempt to form gor.
ernment would have arrayed the
Canadian French in opposition
would have confirmed the doubling
or conservative Americans into op.
pouents. Those who opposed the
movement because premature would
have become its enemies if pressed
to immediate action. Hence the ex.
pedient was resorted to of bringing
together all classes, uniting them in
movement in which all felt q com
mon interest. 1t was hoped thus
to pave the way for continuing mu
tua! acts for the common benefit
possibly from time to time simplifying
the duties of such cooperate asso
citation.
A notice was issued for meeting
February 2, 1913, at the Oregon
Institute, to consider the propriety Of
adopting measures for the protection
Vi utTu6, huu lOI tuc ueStruCtlOu o.
animals which prayed upon cattle
stock, &c. The Interior purpose
of it's authors was a combination o.
settlers, a cooperative association te
concert measures for the formation
of some kind of civil government
DR.. 1. l.. Babcock presided, with
William II. Wilson Secretary; com
mittee consisting of William H
Gray, Alanson Beers. Joseph Ger
vais, William II. Wilson G. W
Bethany and Etienne Lucier were
appointed TO make arrangements fol
a general meeting and to repor
business to SUCH meeting. Thi.
done. the Wolf Meeting, as it i.
known in history, adjourned to NEE
at the house of Joseph Gei vais, OIL
the first Monday in March.
On the 4th March, the citizens o.
the Wallamet held q general meet