New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-20
THE HISTORY OF OREGON.
SOME or TnE TyRANNrEs on a pEMoCRACY.

HISTORY OF THE PACIFIC STATES OF N Noi,Lla
AMERICA. BY Hubert Howe Bancroft Nolunle
XIV. Oregon. VOL II, 1s4S-lsss, san I. Iran,
cisco The History Company. New-York' flank
NJ Derby.
Mr.. Baucroft,s second volume of the History
of Oregon deals with the conclusion OF the TERRI
torial period. the admission of the State TO the
Union. the Modoo and other Indian wars, The
period OF the Rebellion, and the rapid develop
ment of oregons resources and setoiemenb oi
her Territory up to the present time. MI Ban
croft Is the most frank and intrepid OF historians
and tells the unvarnished truth as it appears 10
him without respect OF persons Ihus we are noV
srrprised to find hin condemning III strong TERMS
the measures by which Delegate Ihurston con-
trived to procure the aid Of Congress IN stflppns
old Dr. Mclaughlin Of his real property III 1ne
Oregon City claim; and it must be admitted that
the story is anything but pleasant reading ZOE
such as were concerned in or in any way response
BILE for the outrage directly or indirectly III
arose out of the ant-Hudson Bay Company senti-
ment. but it was fragrant wrong lnfilcGed upon
a man who was entitled to the affection ana esteem
of every Oregon pioneer, and 1t was consuminaeeu
by the aid Of such base mendaclty as tne loWesU
criminal might have been ashamed o. ihe peo-
nile Of Oregon--the majority, that is to say-were
deeply disgusted and angered by Ihurstons I'M
scrupulous and infamous trickery, and had ne IVeo
there can be no doubt that he would nave peen
repudia;ed by the community TO gain whose sur
frages he had descended to this odious deed. But,
on the other hand, there were not wanting men
constituencies enough to condone Thurston's con-
Duct ON consideration of the opening afforded for
the seizure of their neighbors property. Repara-
zion, as is too commonly the case. was tardy The
heirs of Mclaughlin eventually recovered tie
property of which the Doctor had been plundercd
under DOVER of the law but he himself was driven,
broxenshearted. to the grave, by the h-treatment
he received
The story of Indian troubles in Oregon is tne
sppnotonous repetition of old experiences. Whether
the Indians signed treaties parting with the bulk
of their lands or went peaceaby upon reServa-
tons or refused to sell their patrimony and TOOK
the warpath; whether they tried to live quietly
or were restless and turbulent, the same end was
sure to be reached eventually. IL mattered HUE
whether they were the aggressors or the ~l''e
man. War came soon or late, and it was always
the signal for the suppression OF the native rnce'
The Western view of the aborigines. namely, tnao
they have no rights which the white man is bound
TO respect, has inevitably tcndeo 10
procipitate conflicts Of this kino. In
California the most ignorant ana I'M
civilized Missouri immigrants look down Win
an ASSUMPTION OF incontestable superiority upon
the Spanish race whom they found inhablting
able that the greasers" should go to the wall,
and even wondered at the audacitv Of the wretches
who protested against robbery and eviction. Ii
was the same with the red men. and even when
the general Government feeling constrained 10
preserye the semblance Of equity. negotiated tea-
ties for the surrender of Indian territory. the
sovereign people too commonly made haste 10
vindicate their independence by violating inc
agreements made by their own agents anu repre-
sentatlveS.
The Modoc War is perhaps the most instructive
of all the more recent conflicts Of the KIND. Inc
series of disasters which marked it were due 70
collusion between wholly irreccncilablc lnfn-
ences By that time the National conscience was
growing somewhat tender on the indian question.
a distinct element had arisen which controlled
the policy Of ruthless appropriation ana eS-
termination: which insisted soIae show OF
Justice for the red men: and which enlisted the
aid of the moral and religious throughout the
country. On the other side were all the people
of the frontier settlements. Thew were confronted
by condition of things which could not De
dealt with by argument The untutored mind
of the Indian operated with great SIMPLICITY
When he was&ronged by white men he pro
ceeded TO slay burn and plunder in the nearest
settlements with ferocious impartialtv which
went straight TO the mark This kind Of action
possible considerations growing OUT of the initial
wrong done to the aborigines. Moreover. the
Indian would not keep faith He seemed to re-
card the white man as white men IN Philip
the Seconds time regarded hereucs-that is. as
creatures too base TO hold. engagements sacred
with The white men called this Indian treachery
The Indian merely looked upon it as a means Of
obtaining advantages All races have. as q
matter of history. practised the very same w1les
4l,n awlxr cfo
of their development. and some nations have adj
vanced far without perceiving the necessity Oh
abandoning such methods.
In the Modoc War the simple and thorough
going hostility of Captain Jack and his lieu
tenants and men offered barrier to settlement
which could not be overcome by ideally Christian
modes Of procedure This truth. however. was
not realized until General Candy. the Rev. Dir.
Thomas and Agent Meecham. putting themselve S
unarmed and unprotected into the hands OF the
Modocs had been murderously assailed. and the
two former killed on the SPOT. Then 1t was per-
ceived that the time was unpropitious for Illus
trating the simpler Christian virtues. and that
nothing remained but force. But even the MIL
tary estimate of the situation had been Inadequate
Though the position of the Modocs in the lava
beds was plainly most formidable, the officers
charged with the reduction of the stronghold
fell into the laul eftor VI unoeIcS"'h"unS "iO
fighting powers Of the Indians; the result OF TINS
blunder being succession Of repnlses, surprises
and defeats which excited the country greatly,
and almost, for the moment destroyed the morale
of the troops in the field. Finally, and when q
thousand soldiers and volunteers and Indian scouts
had been marshalled against Captain Jacks band
of some seventy warriors, the latter were sur
rounded and surrendered-Captain Jack charac-
teristically excusing himself for being taken by
explaining that his legs had given out. lew
Of the murdcrers were in due course executed,
and the remnant Of the tribe put upon reserva-
ton. They had done great deal Of damage
and killed many people, settlers and soldiers.
When the account came to be balanced it pos