Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1882-02-24
Settlement of Oregon.
The Roman Catholic Mission i.

Gus priests, to whom the Hudson's
Bay Company gave free passage
into the country. 1t depended for
sustenance upon the associations for
the propagation of the faith in
Lyons and Quebec, the voluntary
donations of the few Catholic inhab-
itants of the territory, the contribu-
tons by the officers and empinyees
of the company, the mite contrib
uted by the natives and by the pro-
ducts Of the mission farms on Cow
litz and French prairies.
1t owes its presence in Oregon to
the limitation of Canadian Catholics,
who were British subjects and dis
charged servants Of the Hudson's
Bay Company. On the 81 July,
1884 and Feb. ODD, 1885, the Cana
dian French families settled upon
French prairie, Wallamet Valley,
addressed to the Roman Catholic
Bishop of Red river, whose title was
Bishop of Juliopolis, requesting that
missionaries be sent to instruct
their children and themselves" On
the 9th June, 1885, the Bishop an
swered their petition regre.ting that
there were no dispo3able priests at
Red river, but promised missionaries
as soon as practicable from Europe
or Canada. In that eloquent pater-
nal letter " to all the families settled
on the river Wallamet and other
Catholic persons beyond the Rocky
mountains" he foreshadows the pur-
pose of the Oregon mission. My
intention is not to procure the knowl-
edge of God to you and your children
only, but also to the numerous Indi-
an tribes among which you live"
The Hulson's Bay Company was
applied to by the Bishop, for passage
of two priests from Red river to
Wallamet Valley, and for consent to
establish o mission on the Wallamet
river; but the Governor and Com
mittee in London, and the Council
at Hudson's Bay, would not assent
to any establishment South Of the
Columbia river.
On the 18Th October, 1887, the
Bishop of Red river renewed his ap-
plication for the privilege to send
two priests to Oregon. On the 18th
Feb, 1888, Sir George Simpson
addressed the Arch Bishop of Que
bee. Referring to the letter of the
Bishop of Red river, he replies:
"When the Bishop first mentioned
this subject, his view was to form
the mission ON the banks of tho
Wallamet, a river falling in the Co..
umbia from the South. To the es-
tablishing of q mission there, the
Governor and Committee in London
and the Councils in Hudson's Bay
had decided objection, as the SOW
ereignty of that country is still I'M
decided; but l last Summer intima.
ted to the Bishop that il he would
establish the mission on the banks
of the Cowlitz or the Cowlitz portage,
falling into the Columbia from the
northward and give his assurance
that the missionaries would not 10.
cate themselves ON the south side oil
the Columbia river, but would from
their establishment VIII Re the com.
pany's representative light point
out as the most eligible situation on
the north side, should recommend
the Governor and Committee to af.
ford q passage to the priests, and
such facilities towards the successful
accomplishment or the object in
view as would not involve any great
inconvenience or expense to the
company's service. By the letter
received yesterday (already alluded
toy the Bishop enters fully into my
views, and Expresses his willingness
to fall in with my suggestion. That
letter 1 have laid before the Govern
or and Committee, and I am now
instructed to intimate to your
Lordship, that if the priests will be
ready at Lachine to embark for the
interior about 25th April, passage
will be afforded them, and on their
arrival ut Fort Vancouver, measures
will be taken by the oompany's rep.
resentative there to facilitate the
establishing of the mission, and the
carrying into effect the objects there
of generally"
Rev. Francis Norbert Blanchet, OF
Montreal, was appointed by the
Archbishop OF Quebec to the charge
of the Oregon mission, with letters
of Vicar General dated April 18th,
1888. Rev. Modesto Demers, selec.
ted rs his associate by the Bishop OF
Juliopolis, was at st. Bonifacius,
Red river. The instructions to
Messrs. Blanchet and Demers, "Alis-
sionaries for that part of the Diocese
of Quebec which is situated between
the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky
mountains" drafted by the Arch
bishop of Quebec, exhibit the designs
of The founders of the mission:
First, They must consider as
the first object of their mission to
withdraw from barbarity and the
disorders which it produces, the In
dian nations scattered in the coun-
try.
Second, Their second object is.
to tender their services to the wick
ed christians who have adopted there
the morals of Indians, and live in
Righteousness and forgetfplness of
their duties. "In order to make
themselves sooner useful to the
country where they are sent, they
will apply themselves as soon as
they arrive, to the study Of the Indi-
an languages, and will endeavor to
reduce them to regular principles,
SO as to lie able to publish a gram.
mar of them, after some years of
residence there.
1.-THE Territory which is partlcu-
larly assigned to them, is that which
is comprised between the Rocky
mountains on the East, the Pacific
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