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

TO nave for its object the determining OF
the northwest boundary line He told
tnem OF the British colony which had in
Vaced the land. and announced his pur-
pose or starting ar once for Washington
10 lay the facts before the American gov
eminent, and save Oregon to the United
states His friends expostuiated with
niH. IL was mixing up religion and poll
tics they said. The American board had
ios sent him out 10 take part in any such
WHO goose chase as that and his wife be-
sought him with tears In her eyes not TO
60 Tor II was considered almost certain
death 10 try to cross the Rocky noun
tains In winter time. but TO all their re-
monstrances Whitman had but a single
reply: Gentlemen" he said. though I
am missionary. / am not exparrfated.
10 washington I will co." and the next
morning. within twenty-four hours of the
time when he first heard of the British
INVASION, he was in the saddle starting
Ior Washington
why the Journey Was Made.
NOW. is this story correct7 Did Dr.
whitman go East with the intention OF in
forming the government OF the value Of
ss country. and use his influence there in
o1uer 20 save Ii to the United States? Was
that the purpose of his ride to the Eas,s
In the month OF March. In the year 1872
the american board Of foreign missions
passed an order. which afterwards was
printed In the Missionary Herald. recalling
gray and Spaulding to the states and orSer-
ing Dr- Whitman to go to the SpoSane
INDIANS. On or about the Goth Of Septem-
Der. 1872, DR.. Elijah White and Hastings
arrived with their immigrants AT Whitman
station On the 2Sth of September. the
same year, meeting of the missionaries
was eaiied to consult among themselves
ana on the 3rd OF October Whitman started
for the East
What were the deliberations of the
meeting Of the missionaries? What was
Inc object for which IL was called? Time
ana again the report OF that meeting has
been called for by influential men both in
oregon and Washington. and its existence
was constantly denied, until only Of late
IL was discovered among the manuscripts
OF the American board of foreign missions
Ihis report states that the meeting was
called In order to consider the order Of the
American board of foreign missions. and
that whitman was intrusted with the
charge to go East and have the order re-
called and this report. I am sorry to saw.
is written In the handwriting of the man
VINO was so instrumental in spreading
Spaulding's falsehoods. namely Cushing
Eels.
This Ii the true state Of affairs For
this purpose. and for this purpose alone,
Whitman undertook his ride to the states.
Don't you think then. my friends. that
you have been cheated and bulldozed these
many years? The advocates of the myth
have repeated time and again the story
that IL was to save Oregon to the United
States that Whitman rode to the East
while in fact II was only missionary work
that took him there.
TO show you the falsity of the story. I
will read portion of two letters written
by Mrs. Whitman while her husband was
preparing to go East. We have been told
that it took only twentyfour hours for
Whitman to get ready after he first heard
of the British invasion. He started on the
3rd of October. consequently he must have
heard the news on the End of October.
Now, it was on the 29th of September that
Mrs. Whitman writes to her friends In the
East saying her husband is preparing to
60 East and he will take the letters along
She also speaks of his missionary work.
Two letters. one dated 'Waiiatpu. Septem-
her 29th' and the other September 30th.
1872 first to Dear John and Jennie.
and the second to My Dear Parents. Broth
ers and Sisters In one she states that it
was missionary business that called him
TO the states, and the other. interests Of the
Missionary cause in this country calls him
home.
This proves two things: First. the OBJ
ject of Whitman's ride; and second, that
Mrs Whitman knew already on the ssth
the author of the Acts of the Apostles
makes US believe that he learned that him
self only on the End of October"