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


wilderness, prepare We the way" when
uttered. can now be read not as prophesy
but as history, and it certainly affords
conclusive ey dence that there were not
wanting among the pioneers of thirty
years ago men who entertained clear
conception of ths natural resources of
Washington Territory and the great fu
ture before il. And this conception WAS
accompanied with the conviction that
| their mission her, WAS to Law the fOun-
dations for the development of those
resources and realiZ ttion of that future.
Enthusiastic as was our FIRST Governor
IN regard TO the great future which
awaited the expanse of wilderness over
| which he had been called to preside as
chief executive, it is quite certain that
he did not consider that his mission
could be filed and his whole duty dis
charged by flowing speeches upon her
varied and wonderful resources. Ii was
the purpose and mission of the neu of
that day, those who came here first, to
render the development of those re-
sources possible by the use OF such
practical means as were within their
reach, and to that business they at once
| set themselves to work in good earnest.
This first message Is crowded with re-
Communications of such legislation AS
would secure the opening of roads
wagon roads by which immigration
could reach the Territory, increased
mail facilities through which they could
| communicate with the outside world,
the extinguishmeut Of the Indian title,
the extension of the surveys of the
public lands, the survey and settlement
of tie boundary lines between Wash
ington Territory and the British domin-
ions on the north and Oregon on the
south; the extinguishment of the titles
| of the Hudson Bay Company aud the
Puget Sound Agricultural Company to
the vast tracts of land which thew held
In the Territory under the treaty of
1876; and the organization of the militia
for the purpose of elf-defense. As the
only possible manner of accomplishing
any of these purposes was through the
action of Congress, we We find that the
| first session of our Territorial Legisla-
ture consumed large portion of its
time in preparing and passing memo
rails and joint resolutions looking to
the accomplishment of these various
objects, q practise In which they have
been closely followed by all of their
successors. The closing recommenda-
the Organization Of a militia system
from this population of 1865 souls pre-
sents an example of that selfreliance
in the midst of difficulties aud dangers
which is not the least valuable charao-
| teri,tic of the pioneer.
A general enroll ,nent Of the militia"
said the Governor, 1.-The organization of
volunteer corps as artlllerlsts and rifle.
men, in detachDents at EXPOSED points,
and increased TO platoons, comptui
bAttslions aud regiments. with the in
crease of population, two or more heavy
guns placed IN battery. at points exposed
| to the attacks of hostile enemies, Is re-
| commended AS the system adapted to
the present soanty population of the
| Territory. BY the laws of Congress the
Territory will be entitled to arms for its
militia and to light guns for its artillery,
and 1t is confidently believed that in the
peculiar exposed position of this coast
II will furnish heavy guns. / am per
sua led that with such system, and
| with governmental aid, TO be derived
| fros the efficient milittry posts which
should serve rs schools of the military
| Art to the youth and citizens of the
Territory; the establishment of depots
of heavy guns aud powder on the Sound
and on the Columbia river, from per
manent works and from the services of
officers of ability aud character in our
geographical surveys, and our military
roads. no hostile foot will be able to land
on its soil. though ve maintain the con-
| iict single handed without additional
aid from home, against whatever power
may be brought against Us. Let this se
our fixed determination. and to it let
every step We take in our militia system
tend"
Ii was not. however, until the second
session, and upon the repeated and Or
gent recommend alton of Gen. Stevens,
tsat an ses Was passed organizing the
militia. From this time the business of
opening up and developing the resources
of the country was prosecuted with vieor
and success mp TO the summer of 1855,
when all business, all industry and all
thought save that of defense was sud.
denly arrested by the outbreak Of
general Indian war. The effects of
this event upon the colony are thus
portrayed by Acting Governor Masen,
IN his message to the Legislative As
sembly at its session of December 30,
1885:
Since you we're last assembled an
vs.
trous change has taken place in our
social prospects. While peace and se-
curisy seemed to reign about Us, ,nd
every person was as usual pursuing his
customary avocatiou, An Indian war
breaks out in our midst, spreading alarm
throughout the whole Territory. Fami-
lies are murdered. property Is destroyed,
claims are abandoned fer the fort and
the block house, and the whole country,
Instead of portraying the usual Peaceful
occupations OF American citizens, has
the appearance of desertion, aud ne
! thing but parties of armed men are TO
be seen in motion. How long this state
of affairs Is to continue it is impossi ole
To say; bat from the energy which our
citlzens have shown. and the measures
which have been adopted, it il earnestly
to be hoped that the snd = not far off /"
This war. may observe, was of course
| bat the inevitable continuation of the
cid. old story of the colonization and
| occupation of America by the whites.
which has been enacted times without
| number from the shores of the Atlantic
to the Pacific, daring the last four hun
drcd yeafs-simply one of the three in
cideatS OF that inevitable destiny which
has already subiecsed the whole coati-
nent TO the use Of civilized man, namely:
First. the insidiaus invasion of she pio-
neer: second, a treaty by the govern
nent wita the Indians; and third, their
forcible expulsion from that territory 70
convenient reservations, 10 be taken
from them by the same process az some
| future time TIE same idea is thus sx-
pressed by Gov. Stevens IN the message
be delivered TO the Legislative Assembly
upon bis return from Fort Benton and
the cosncil at waila Wslla. where he
had conducted treaties with all the prsn-
cipal TRIBES east of he Cascade mount
alma Aiiuding 10 the well known fact
that this war bad been plotting among