The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-08

and rode East with the express purpose
to save Oregon TO the United States.
II say the first false superstition is that
the government In Washington was will
ing TO sacrifice this country for anything
IL could get for II. Now the facts In the
case bear US out Already, in the year
1877. waen Whitman was yet a small boy.
diplomatic discussions were open with
Great Britain concerning Oregon. They
were re-opened In the year 1Sll But no
settlement was made. In ISIS our repre-
sentatiyes met with those Of England
The matter was gone over thoroughly,
and while ENGLAND wanted all OF this
country the United States claimed the
tine as far north as 81 degrees 70 minutes
Forth latitude. In IRA the government Of
fered to compromise with Great Britain.
making the boundary the 18th degree
north latitude. which England refused,
and instead offered the 18Th north latitude
from the summit Of the Rocky mountains
to the most northeastern stream. down
that stream along the Columbia river to
the Pacific. This offer would have given
us four-feths, II NOT more. of all the area
that the advocates of the myth Of Whit
man saving Oregon claim as q result OF
Whitman'E ride.
Did our government agree to accept
this Offer? Were they willing TO sacri-
fee all other claims? No. But they in
sisted on the validity OF our title to the
18th degree, and there Is not a particle Of
evidence to show no matter what Whit
mans friends may say, that the govern
ment ever was willing or disposed to re-
cede from that decision They tell US that
the government was entirely ignorant
this country; that they thought II was
nothing but a wilderness. utterly useless
for any white man to live in Before
hod
eminent had printed more than 800, 900
pages on the Oregon question for free dis
tributfon. taken from the reports Of the
committees of the house and senate
which reports were all in favor Of our
title and speak of the value of the coun-
try: from the reports OF the special agents,
Provost and Slocum, from documents ac-
companying the presidents message in
1851. from reports Of the negotiations with
England and Russia. from Greenhow's
official history of Oregon and California.
and besides that Loo pages more Of the
debates In congress
Not only was all this matter accessible
TO the government but 1t had also. In adj
dition to the official dispatches personal
letters OF Slocum and Bonneville and
what was OF vastly more consequence. ii
had the official dispatches and personal
interviews with Lieut.. Charles Wilkes.
VINO. pursuant to most positive instructions
from the government. had visited all the
missions and Hudson bay posts In the coun-
try. Fourteen pages Of this special report.
containing an almost extravagant eulogy
on the fertility of Oregon. were called for
in the house of representatives in January.
lsa3. OF which 5000 copies were printed
yet. in spite of all this, the advocates
of the myth have the gall to tell us that the
government was waiting for Whitman to
come to Washington in order TO enlighten
them on the Oregon question. II is my
opinion that the government instead of
being ignorant, was better posted on Ore
gon than Whitman himself and that Ore
gon would have become portion of the
United States even IL DIR. Whitman had
never been born.
whitman and His Wagon.
eve come now to the second false sup
position. namely. that DIR. Whitman was
the pathfinder. bringing the first wagon to
this country. Now, DR.. Whitman did not
bring the first wagon to the Columbia
river. He left his wagon at Fort Boise
At least Ii was there in the year 1889 when
Farnham, an American traveller. found 1t
there. and describes it in his journal as
curiosity of the place. and says that Whit
man left IL there because he had been told
that IL was impossible to take Ii across the
Blue mountains. Moreover In the year
1910 three men. Meek. wilkins and Newiin,
fitted out a wagon with horses and har-
ness at Fort Hail. crossed the Blue noun
tains and came with their wagons to Whit
man station. In a conversation. Newlin
said to Dr. Whitman: Doctor. am sorry
brought my wagon along with me- Oh
said Dr. Whitman, don't be sorry for that,
because you have broken the ice, and 9TH
ers will be able to follow Now. these
three men surely deserve as much credit.
or more. than DIR. Whitman In finding the
road TO the Columbia.
1--WE are told that DIR. Whitman brought
the first immigration 10 this country. This
is another lie. He did not bring the first
immigration here. In 1872 Dr. Elias White
and Hasting arrived at Whitman station,
and they brought with them 1876 persons
with wagons and cattle. j shall return TO
this immigration later on.
But Whitman. they say, brought an i'm
migration with him on his return from the
states. This Is not true. The large immi-
grafton which came to this country In 1s33
was neither organized nor led by \. ait
man. for men that have been living among
YOU and who were the real leaders of that
immigration and whose testimony is worth
that OF hundred Spauldings declared
time and again that Whitman had nothing
whatever 20 do with bringing about that
immigration. Three OF the leaders OF the
company declared that he did not know of
a single soul that had been influenced by
Whitman 10 come to this country.
so this may be sufficient 10 prove that
DIR. Whitman did not bring wagon TO the
Columbia, nor an immigration to this coun-
try.
THE third false supposition is that DR..
whitman started on his trip east In order
TO save this country TO the United States.
So we are told. at least, by those that
advocate the story. and their story runs
thus: In the fall of the year of 1912 Il
take this from a pamphlet. entitled by
way Of biasphemy. "A Chapter From the
Acts OF the ApostlesD Whitman was
called TO attend a patient, and after at
tending 10 his patient he went down to
dinner with the traders, and while at the
dinner thaie guide came rushing In.
bringing In the exciting news that party
OF British settlers had made their way
around by the north Saskatchewan coun-
try and were already apon the Columbia
river. entering Oregon TO sieze II for Great
Britain. Now IL happened that the only
invasion we know OF that ever was con-
templated from the north had come al
ready twelve months previous. and had
settled by ts!s time quietly In the william
cite valley ana the Cowlitzl young
English Catholic priest who was AZ the
table Ieaped to his feet in triumph ana
proposed the toast. Here's TO Oregon.
She is ours now. The United States may
whistle for her.
Now. IL Is unfortunate for the story
that there was not a Catholic. either En-
sllSh or French within several days jour
rev Of the Walla Wafia fort Why then.
the question arises did Spaulding bring n
that Catholic priest7 Just simply 10 give
n lit;le flavor - the story; for about the
same reason that some A. p A. preachers.