Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-20

the Indians from northern California TO
the British Provinces. on both sides of
ths mountains, for more than two years.
be SAYS:
Fellow citizens, war has existed for
more than three months and still exists.
A war entered into by these Indians
without Cause: war having not its
origin in their treaties, nor IN the bad
eoH uct of our people. Ii originated
IN the native intelligence OF restless
Indians. who, foreseeing destinv against
them. determined that it must be met
and resisted by arms. We NAV sympa-
th'ze with such manly feeling, but IN
view OF Is We have high dQlies."
Bat eight years have klspsed since.
aetu4tei by that we'll grounded feeling
enEendersd by the presence of the whites
/ Ia hair country. the Indians of the up
per Columbia had massscrea DR.. Whit
/ man and family and driven the peaceful
mission trIes from their midst. During
that sum mer, 1850 Impelled by the re-
ported discovery of rich gold nines ~
the mouth Of the Pen d'Oreille river.
between one and two thousand men.
mostly from Oregon, pissed through
the Indian country, going to and re-
turning from those mines Ii is by no
means strange that they felt THAT the
white mau was moving upon them IN
earnest, or that they should resist the
lmpeAding destiny by force of arms.
| Some time IN the month of September
they had slain Indian Agent Borland
| ana henry Mattlce, citizens of the Ter
| ritory; the one upon his way to the Yak
INA reservation and the other en- route
to the mines; and nothing remained for
the people of the Territory but to arrest
and punish the murderers, or TO abandon
the whole country east of the Cascades
| to the dominion of tine savages. with the
| probability that in the latter alternative
| the triumphant foS would push the war
into Africa and visit the feeble settle
ments of the Sound with devastation
and destruction. The acts of hostility
east of the Cascades, of which | have
already spoken, were, as had been anti
clpated, speedily followed by acts of
similar kind perpetrated by the Indians
of the Sound. White and Northcraft
were waylaid and murdered within
few miles OF the capital, and other mas
sacres were perpetrated in the vicinity
Of White river; and though but COM
paratively small number of the Indians
were open and declared hostiles. it WAS
quite apparent that unless some effective
and decisive blows were speedily struck
there would be a general uprising, which
could scarcely have resulted otherwise
than In the destruction of the tee IL
settlements of the whites. Fortunately,
however, the executive authorities were
Ia every way equal to the emergency.
Prompt measures were taken, and the
history of the times shows that the old
settlers displayed that martial spirit
ha luz a va har uafa .,fi
those who go forth to conquer aud sub
due the wilderness. More than one half
the adult population abandoned their
occupations and took up arms in re-
sponse to the call of Acting Governor
MGsoa for volunteers, remaining in the
field until the savages were subdued and
peace and security restored. Two bat
talions of citizen soldiers were organ
lied under the authority of the Terri
tory, the one to carry the war into the
enemy's country east of the Cascades,
by way of the Columbia river, the other
to co-operate by striking the hostlles on
and about White river and to hold and
command the Nachess Pass. II il prob
ably sufficient for me to say that both
of these expeditions we're conducted to
perfect success, and that, acting in con
junction with the volunteers of Oregon
Territory, they resulted in the subjuga-
tion of the savage foe and the establish
ment of peace which has scarcely been
interrupted to the present day, and, so
far rs the Indians are concerned, prob
ably never will be interrupted again
MANY Of the prominent actors in these
scenes are still living. Many of them
see here present today, and will leave
1t for them, when they make their CON
tributions to the archives Of our phone r
association, to unfold the details of those
Campaigns in which they bore such a
gallant and useful part.
This sketch, general as it is, would be
imperfect and unjust to tn Jse who car
ried us safely through the most trying
period of our Territorial history without
some reference to the fact that little aid
was extended to them by the military
authorities of the General Government
III their struggles with the Indians
Inc position assumed by Governor
Stevens in regard to the Indians was
substantially that no permanent peace
could be made with them until they had
submitted unconditionally to the au-
thority of the Government of the Unit
ed States and surrendered those persons
concerned in the murder of our cItizsns
in time of peace, to be tried by the OWL
authorities, and TO be dealt with accord
ing to law. Gen. Wood, Commander in
Chief of the Department of the Pacific,
imbued with the idea that the whites
we're the aggressors. assumed from the
first the position that the movement of
troops iato tn country east of the Cas-
csdes, inaug ursted by the Gov ernors of
Oregon aud Washington Territories.
was not justified by the circumstances;
that suoh movement was an interference
with his authority as military Com
manaer in Chief of the district, and
calculated to complcate the situation
aud precipitate an Indian war, which,
from some cause. he seemed uuable to
permit himself to be convinced was al |
ready in existence. And as a measure
of self defense, the war had TO be- and
was prosecuted, not only without his |
aid and assistance, but in the face of |
every obstacle that be could interpose. |
In this statement / have hazarded no |
conclusion upon doubtful facts. The |
official correspondence of the executive |
of the Territory and the military de- |
partment during the period has been
carefully preserved, and those who have |
reld il or will read it. | am sure,
must concur with me in the con-
ciuslOu tudt upon every point OF |
difference Governor Stevens had
right and justice upon his side |
that through all the trying cireumstan.
ces OF the period he displayed the high |
est qualities of the statesman, soldier
and patriot, and that to his ability firm |
ness and courage the early settlers OF
the country were indebted for the
speedy and permanent settlement of
war. which. under the conduct of a less
qualified leader, mus. have been attend.
ed by tie most direful consequences.
OF the period which have thus rapidly
sketched, Governor Stevens IS undoubt
edly the foremost figure. No cit zen of
Washington Territory Of those or SOB
segment times, has been better informed
of her natural resources, or conceived a
clearer conception Of her future i'm
portance than be. To which | may
safely add that no other citizen has
done so much 10 develop those resources
to make the present which we enioy,
and the future for which we hope pos
sible. as he has done. With bis subse-
quent history you are all familiar. Hav-
ing received every honor that this Ter
ritory could confer upon him, he left Us
AZ a ~ 81