, 1884-01-10

Der, who Is still 4 resident Of this
county. anl can coToborate our
statement. resisted the arrest success
fully. refusing TO recognize British
authority on the island. and having
committed no crime 1t was this
outrageous attempt on the part Of
the British authorities lSangater's
orders from Governor Douglas attest
mrl to arrest an American citizen on
American soil. that caused universal
indignation among Americans. After
ward. the trouble about the hog,
between Dallas and Cutler, merely
revived and continued that feeling.
On the lllh Of July. 1889, some
twenty odd American citizens Of San
Juan patitioned Gen. Harvey to give
them detachment Of soldiers to pro
tect them from marauding and N II
d-rous Indians. About the same time
tn, trouble about the hog occur
rel. and Dallas had threatened to
have Cutler arrested and taken to
Victoria for trial. Gen. Harvey Wis
tied the island III person, and. ascer
tanning the facts of the case. also hay
inc received officially a copy of Gov
crnor Douglas famous proclamation
which claimed the island and sur
rounding archipelago exclusively as
British soil, he sent Capt. Pickett
with his command to establish them
selves on the island and protect
American citizens and American
rights. 1t may be remembered that
his act was applauded by the citizens
of the Territory, and was in accord
ance with his plain duty. Although
he effected military occupation OF
the island first, yet he was by no
means the aggressor, for the British
authorities We're not respecting the
tacit agreement to let the case remain
in statU quo pending = decision oi
the veXed boundary question, but
had themselves set up a civil govern
ment there, had attempted to arrest
an American citizen, and repres en-
tative of the H. B. Co. had threatened
to arrest another. Harvey WAS !
man of prompt action, aud resolute
to do his duty. 1t was not his place
to inquire how strong a force the
British could muster, but what ought
he to do to protect the rights of his
country. He saw an attempt was be
ing made to drive Americans out oi
the disputed territory, and that citi-
zens were III danger of arrest on Oul
own soil, by Representatives of a for
eign power; that the American cit
liens on San Juan were being mur
dered by hostile savages, and they
having petitioned him for protection
he did not wait for the red tape com
plication5 and delays necessary fol
securing an order from the War De
partment, but acted at once. Will
him. to determine on the necessity o.
a plain duty was to do it at once
Promptness, firmness of decision Were
his characteristics. When sent t.
Salt Lake in 1858 to settle the
troubles with the Mormons, anC
having been unofficially Informed
while on the way that his little arm,
must of necessity be cut to pieces by
the vastly superior forces of the lat
ter, he replied in his bluff, profan,
manner: Il have orders to winter
in Utah, and I'm going to winte,
there or in h-ll." To charge hin
with a political motive in his actions
in the San Juan matter is manifes
injustice, because thoss acti) we c
chara teristic of the man. A fai r.
on his pnt to d. as he did, woult
have compromised our claims to San
Juan b. giving way to Brit l
aggression, and might have result
ed in the eventual loss of much val
liable territory to Our government
The worst that can be said agains
aim was that he was sometimes rasl
n his bravery.