New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-26

land without payment and that the increasing
immigration convinced them they were TO De as
possessed more quickly than they had 1ea'ed.
Nor can it be doubted that there was some gro"ho
Of equity in their position. In effect they han
been solemnly promised payment for their ian L.
and this solemn promise had been disregarded
Even the missionaries had paid no attention 10
it, and then too the prestige Of the missionaries had
suffered from the theological controversies between
the Protcstants and Catholics. The Indians hcaru
those opposed scctarcs declaring each that the
other taught a Ease religion. 10 the simple
native mind such declarations were mutually de-
stvuctiye. The Indian believed both his teachers
and so arrived at the conclusion that both were
impostors Naturally, however, the ceremonial
Of the Catholics appealed more strongly to The
savage Imagination than the stem simplicity OF
the Protestant worship, AMI thus when falth III
either was nearly dead the priests of Rome retained
more influence over their baclsliding pIpscNies
than their rivals could. This circumstance was
employed after the Whitman massacre, 10 caso
suspicion upon the Catholic missionaries. but Tic
specdv abatement of excitement put an end 10
that injurious and irrational accusation
After the missionaries had tried their ham al
pocket government of the close corr oatlon oi"cr'
the immigration which was 10 settle at once inc
territory and the boundary disputes began TO ar
in itself process of natural selection In the fist
Mace only the adventurous that is 70 say the alb
normally energetic, offered themselves for the ex-
pcdition In the second place only the strongest
and most persistent Of them went through. Thou
sands of immigrants never saw the Promised Land
They fell by tie way and their comrades went
On and left them there. These who arrived had
been thoroughly tested, and were fit FOR whatever
work might fall to their lot II was indeed an
exceptionally sound immigration There was
wild eemcnt'in it, but nothing like what the gold
discovery afterward attracted to California The
majority were sober, solid sturdy people, with
definite ideas as 10 comfort and order. and The
American innate ability for selfgovcrnmcnt. The
manner in which they Ovcrcame The many DIM
culties of organization the success WIN when
in the absence Of any authority they maintained
order and peace the instructive shrewdncss with
which they ada ted their first institutional pro
ceedincs to their fundamental needs all present
most interesting and important points for study
1t can be seen how the Anglo-Savon inheritance
came into play hero. New England and the far
West supplied. under widely different conditions
identical tendencies. The love for and understand
| inc of settled free institutions was as strong In
the one element as in the other, and though often
opposed on subordinate matters they could not but
unite upon the general principles of the govern
ment to be established for their mutual protection
and benefit.
The uncertainty caused by the boundary dispute
with England for long time embarrassed the
Oreconians and forced them to put up with make
shift governmental ARRANGEMENTS. Appeals TO Con
grcss were frequent but futile The slavery ques-
ton was disturbing element whenever the extern
sion Of the area of the Republic was i'll question.
| Even though the geographical position of Oregon
made it inevitably free territory many Southern
Conc1essmen viewed the proposed exclusion of
the peculiar institution from the new territory
with unreasoniny disapproval, while the sluggish
course of international diplomacy afforded plasi-
bic excuse for continued inactiOn The popular
interest aroused by the srread of information in
the interest of settlement meantime increased until
| a new pressure was brought to Dear upon tie ma
| tional legislature. Mr.. Bancrofts account Of the
fight for the recognition and organization of Ore
| gon at Washington ais among the most interest
| ing features of this volume The part played by
| Thomas Benton on behalf Of the new territory is
well exhibited, as also the nature and extent OF the
obstacles to progress. Even when the boundary
question scttled-on a basis by no means sat
sfactory to the people Of Olegon-the extension
of territorial government was delayed in most ex-
asperating way by the factious opposition OF some
| Of the Southern members.
The present volume carries the reader TO the ap-
pointment Of Joseph Lane the first Governor under
the new regular territorial administration. 1t en-
braces the campaign undertaken by the settlers to
punish the authors of the Whitman Massacre: an
expedition as little dscreditable to those who took
ralt in it as perhaps any frontier movement Of the
kind in American history. 1t is one of the special
| merits of Mr. Bancroft's narrative that he treats
all Indian questions without prejudice He neither
fails TO see to point out the abuses to which
the native races have been subjected. He
cndeavors, moreover, TO present their case from
their own point Of view taking fairly into consd-
Grafton their mental limitations and never charging
them, many writers have done, with special
vices of nature because they are prone to misdeeds
liability to which they only Share with the human
race. That they should have risen against an in
vasien which mcnaced their very existence was
perfectly reasonable; that they should be over
come in the struggle was inevitable: but that they
should be accused Of treachery and ferocity foI
defending their immemorial possessions in the only
way open to them, is neither just nor necessary.
Mr. Bancroft realizes this and deals out even
handed justice.
Such history is necessarily largely concerned
with the dongs Of individuals and the present
volume contains much biography Many strongly
defined characters appear on the scene, and there
is not wanting the intrigue and manGuvre which
the pursuit of selfish or factional interest intro
duccs In every instance the author las labored
with conscientious painstaling to make his por
traits faithful and to give all the evidence or
both sides wherever dubious question arises
The footnotes contain mass of corToborative mat
ter which strengthens and amplifes the state
ments in the text, and while sometimes the con
clusions reached traverse received traditions OF
put less pleasing face upon events than previous
accounts have given, reference to the authorities
so freely cited always sustains the authors judg
ment and demonstrates the improbability Of any
future necessity for revising his work. The carr
and thoroughness which characterize all the pre-
ceding volumes Of this great literary enterprise
are equally apparent here. The style is clear
sober and judicious. The confusion anxiety ant