The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-04

subject OF Oregon by Whitman belonging
to that time has ever been discovered in
the state department. There had been
an agreement between the United States
and Great Britain, from 1927. for joint &C.
cupation OF the Oregon country. coupled
with the stipulation that either party
might rescind it by giving one years no.
tice. This agreement was still IN force
in 1872. and is was not ill +Si6 that the
United States gave the notice ana pro-
posed 10 adjust the question by r1ak;ng
the boundary on the parallel of 40 degrees.
II does not appear, therefore, that, even
If Whitman went to Washington On this
errand. his work bore any actual fruit
For all that appears to the contrary, the
claim of the United states would have
been maintained had he never gone 10
Washington, or had he never come TO
Oregon Romance, however. can always
do much with such theme.
II is said. further that but for Whitman
the large immigration of 1913. which be-
came so potent factor in the settlement
OF Oregon, never would have come TO the
country. Undoubtedly Whitman. by let
tiers and conversations. and perhaps by
public addresses. had done a good deal 10
spread the name and fame OF this new
Hesperian paradise. Others had done the
same-notably Jason Lee and Elijah
White, who, like Whitman, had visited
the Country anu spoken ana written
of it, 1t was Lee who had started the
Peoria party TO Oregon in 1870; ii was
White who had formed and led to Oregon
the party of 1912. Whitman had been In
tho country since 1886, and no doubt had
written for publication in the East, as
others were constantly doing articles set
ting forth the attractions of the country.
But to say that IL was Whitman who coll
lected at Independence. on the Missouri
49,. T.. 49, 90
nearly 1000 persons for oregon is gross
eXaggeration. His work In the collection
Of that body OF emigrants was too small
to be distinguished from that Of others
who were talking about Oregon. and who
had spread the fame of the country among
those pioneers of the West who were little
satisfied as long as there was any country
behind them. James w. Nesmith. one of
the party of 1S43. has left on record a
statement of the manner in which that
party was formed. He himself had never
heard OF Whitman. nor, so far as he knew.
had any OF the party. BY a sort of spon-
taneous impulse they came together in
the spring of 1913 for the march
across the plains. There was talk
of Oregon In the air. Missouri
was the chief center of IT, for her sena-
tors. Denton and Linn. were taking great
interest in the oregon question, and the
talk about Oregon was spread through
their contact and correspondence with
their people. Moreover, the Missouri
frontier was the starting point for the
long journey, and the gathering OF a
wagon train for oregon was an event
that called the adventurous and curious
10 witness 1t and swelled the numbers OF
the emigrants. Nesmith himself had in
tended to come the year before with the
White party, but was little late in
reaching the rendezvous. and so waited
till the next year. Some of those who
gathered In 1913 at Independence may
have heard of Whitman, but Nesmith
and others have always said that. IL
whitman had any part, agency or dntiu-
ence On assembling the train, they did
not know Il. Whitman, returning from
the East. overlook the train in the Platte
valley, after IL had been a month or more
out, and his advice and guidance during
the remainder of the journey were very
valuable: but We are not aware that any
member OF the party OF 1913 has ever at
tributed 10 Whitman any apprectable
share in the collection OF the body or
emigrants who came TO Oregon that year.
Much fiction, therefore. is associa ted with
the narratives of recent times about
Whitman's having saved Oregon by his
winter ride in 1872, and his having organ
lied and brought out the. first large body
OF emigrants 10 the country.
Nevertheless, Whitman's name is i'm
parishably associated with the history
of the Northwest. Somewhat tardy rec
ognitIon was given him by bestowal of
his name on one OF the counties OF Wash
ington; and we shall be glad to see Whit
man college made successful and great.
The SAD fate OF himself and wife not only
forbid any attempt TO detrsct from their
merit, but give sympathy and romance
opportunity TO enlarge upon their con-
stancy and devotion to the purposes Of
patriotism and humanity. II Is altogether
probable however that, had they not
met their cruel death at the hands of tina
trea cherous savages to whom they were
trying TO do good, nothing like so much
importance would be attached 10 the
name OF whitman in the matter of saw
ing the Oregon country to the United
States. This, indeed is mostly fiction or
nvt1. which has had IT'S rise during the
last twenty years. The legend that goes