The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-21

above. It is well known that Secretary of
State Daniel Webster had a very pcor
opinion Of the West Il IS said that he
quoted the verbs of Hudson Bay officers
10 DIR. Whitman 10 the effect that the
country was Inaccessible and Unfit for set
taesnenS- IL = also said that the good doc
tor completely s,leneei the secretary when
ne 'oad OF that wagon ne had taken into
oregon six years before. adding; And
nave that wagon now" President Tyler
was Sore considerate. and after listening
10 the far-eiad missionary. ne promised
II whitman succeeded in plotting a wagon
train Of en.grants into Oregon. ne wos1ld
use MS efforts 20 save Oregon 10 the
lhfon and prevent IFS being traded for
Goldfish hanks eff Nova Scotia. as was
canned 10 DC the purpose up 10 that lime
He was treated coldly by the officers Of
the missionary society Of Boston. who did
not then understand the Importance of his
errand. By May he was on his way back
ana overlook the emigrant train near the
rate Members of that great sgnigrant
train Of 30 wagons have borne eloquent
testimony Of the services rendered 10 them
5y DR.. Whitman on this journey 20 OREGON
mat train OF eraigrants turned the scale in
favor Of America. for three years later
the treaty Of 1915 fixed the boundary az the
isth degree or north latitude, and Oregon
was ours.
after the Soc. IRIS retura - his mission
station, he wrote long letter TO Judge
Prentice, his wife's father which Letter
gives fine view or the purpose and spirit
or this almost silent but tirelesS man. He
says in part:
IL does not concern me so much what
Is 10 become of any particular set of IN
oiahs. as to give them the offer of saliva
ton through the Gospel. and the oppor-
tunity or civilization and then [ am con-
tent 10 do good 70 all men as | have oppor-
tunity. / have no doubt our greatest work
Is to be to aid the white settlement of this
country and help TO found its RELIGIOUS in
satuiions. Providence has its fun share
IN all those events. Although the Indians
have made and are ma king rap,d adyanca
IN religious knowledge and civilization. vet
II cannot be hoped that time will be al
io~ea To mature the work OF Cnristianiya-
lion or civilization before white settlers
VIII demand the soil ana the removal of
both the Indians and the missions What
Americans desire of this kind they always
eHect ana 1t Is useless 10 oppose or desire
1t otherwise"
Hubert Howe Bancroft is not always
KIND IN his writings about Whitman. but
IN one place he says: ''The missionary.
Dr. whitman. was no ordinary man. do
not Know which TO admire most in him.
ms coolness or his courage. His nerves
~" Va StScis itiS patience was oXCp!iT(}
only by his fearessness In the mighty
calm of his nature he was a Caesar for
Christ
TIE real purpose of Whitman's ride has
given rise to controversy, but that con-
test OF words is as nothing compared 10
the discussion that has waged more or less
constantly Tor half a century over the real
cause of the massacre at Waiilatpui. Iuto
TINS controversy was plunged that awful
element of religious jealousy and intrigue
ana II was also charged that the Hudson
BAY company melted the Indians TO that
wicked violence. Whatever the imme-
date cause, the tragic event took nlac.
little after O'Clock on the afternoon Of
November y. lS1- The very Indians
whom the doctor and his wife had helned
most were among the murderers In all.
there were fourteen killed, and forty wo-
men and girls were carried away as cap
tiVes 10 endure worse than death at the
hands OF the savages. The Whitmans
had adopted one whole family of seven or
phaned children by the name of Sager
'Ihey had made strangers and sufferers
welcome to their home TO such an extent
that the savages found the mission home
ripe for the preparation OF their diabou
cal plans upon the assembled whites /
never read the details of that awful scene
but my blood fairly boils with indignation
over the treaehery and ingratitude of those
miserable Cayuse fends
The captive women and girls were res
cued through the good offices Of the Hua-
son Bay Company and 1t is said that no
army could possibly accomplish in this
line what was easily done by these men
so thoroughly versed in the nature of the
savages.
The victims OF the massacre were buried
on the mission grounds about six miles
from the present city of Walla Walla. on
Monday. November % the iiftieth ami
versary of the massacre will be celebrated
by the dedication of monument erected
by men and women Of the Northwest. who
thus indicate tina; they wish 10 comment
crate the pure lives. the noble deeds and
the martyr death Of Marcus Whitman and
Narcissa his Wife
EDMOND STEPHEN MEANY.