The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-06

INC sasseF cp11f18 mo the country TO de-
stray the game am take away their
lands. that the Neg Perces dispatched ne
OF their chiefs last winter on snowshoes
10 visit the Indians in the Buffalo coen-
Try. east OF Fort Hail. for the purpose
or exciting them to cut on the party that
II Is expected DR.. Whitman Will bring
back with him 10 settle in the Neg Perees
country" This latter was evidently
written in lSSs)
Nothing need now be said Of DIR. Whit
man and this emigration until IL reached
Fort Hall. They had their guide, Capt.
CAN'T. and he and the doctor worked to-
gether. But Fort Hall was as far as Capt
Grant, had agreed 20 guide them. Capt.
CAN'T. then in charge OF Fort Hall did
MS best TO persuade the entrants. eight
or nine hundred In number 20 leave fneir
wagons there. according 10 Mr.. Spai6ing.
and also according 10 Hon. ]. W. Nee
NTH. Gov. p. II. Burnett, Capt IL. D.
OBryant and Mr.. j. Baker of that years
emigration. and Hon j. Mimic. Of 1874
And all Of them affirm that 1t WAS pr.
"hitmans advice which prevailed over
that of Capt CAN'T, and SO the wagons
came through. One writer has recently
said that this was r.othing. as the emf
grants OF lsi2 came through with their
wagons. But this is an error as the Jour-
nal Of Capt. N. Crawford now nefose me
SAYS that they left their Wagons - Fort
Hail. Rev. II. Clarke and missionary
companies had likewise been induced to
leave theirs there In $40. But DIR. Whit
map had taken his wagon 10 Fort Boise
In 1885. He knew that Robert Newell and
one or two others had managed 20 ger one
through 10 Walia Walla In 1870 ard he
felt that the safety of the emigran;s as
well al OF Oregon demanded that those
of ls4s should not be left short of The
m xft-. - -.
On, and he went in advance with light
wagon to leave track for the others TO
follow. Says J. 3. McLane: Il was the
driver OF that light wagon. He left US at
Grande Ronds and went on to Mr.. Spald-
ing's. as they were very sick before going
home. He. however provided Indians to
guide the emigkanls through"
Dr. Whitman's feelings and testimony
on this subject may be gathered from the
Following letters: Il tried TO leave the
party at different points but found that
could not do SO without subjecting the
emigrants &c considerable risk"
Great Inconvenience and expense have
been incurred by my absence, yet / do
not regret having visited the states for
l feel that this country must either be
American or foreign and mostly papal
If l never dc more than to have estab-
lished the first wagon road to the Column
bia river and prevented the disaster and
reaction which would have followed the
breaking up OF the present immigration
L am satisfied. / cannot see foreign and
papaI influence making great efforts, and
We hold ourselves expatriaied. l am de-
termined to exert myself for my country
dated November l. lN3
Again, April l, 1871. he wrote to his home
board: Il often reflect on the fact that
you told me that you were sorry that |
came east. 1t did not then, nor has it
since. altered my opinion in the matter
American interest acquired in the coun-
try. which the success of the immigra-
ton of 1913 alone did and could have Sc
cured. have become the foundation of the
late treaty between England and the
United States in regard to Oregon, for L
may easily be seen what would have be-
come OF American interests had the en-
igration Of 1913 been disastrous as were
the emigrations of 1916 and 1876. The dis
aster was great again last year to those
who left the track l made for them in
lsB. as 1t has been in every attempt TO
improve II. Not that 1t cannot be i'm
proved. but it demonstrates what / did
In making my way to the states In the
winter of ls42-aS, after the 81 of October
1t was 10 open a practical route and safe
passage and secure a favorable report OF
the journeys from the emigrants, which
in connection with other objects, caused
me to leave my family and brave the
tolls and dangers of the journey. not
withstandng the unusual severity of the
winter and the great depth Of snow"
October is, lSi7, he also wrote: Two
things were accomplished by my return
to the United States. By the establish
ment OF that wagon road. due to- that ef-
fort alone. the immigration was saved
from disaster in 1913. Upon that event the
present rights OF the United States ac-
quired by her citizens hung and not less
certainly upon the result of immigration
10 this country. the existete Of the mis-
sion and Of Professionalism i'm general hung
also
Another letter OF his OF November 1886
speaks similarly. These letters Of his es-
tablish the fact that DIR. Whitman went
east for political or national purposes, as
well as of missionary objects; that he be-
lieved the success OF his work was the
real cause of the treaty of ls46 and that
his missionary co-iahorers did not orig
mate the story as a myth and after
thought
II remains TO answer one more charge
and that Is that Father spaldIng or 9TH
ers seventeen years after the death of
DR. Whitman originated the story Of d.
Whitman saving oregon. which had not
been known before. or else that others OF
the missionaries did SO. or the American
board.
The above letters OF DIR. Whitman an
swer this charge. Still other evide~ce
can be brought. that IL was known by 9th
ers. True. far as the writer knows. II
vas not published In any paper until 1854.
About that time the Ratchet with which
Or Whitman was killed was presented To
the state OF Oregon at a session OF the leg
islature. From speech made on that
occasion. Hon. s. A. Clarke wrote an ac-
count of the winter trip OF the doctor and
sent II to The Sacramento Union and Mr..
Spaliing wrote ii for the Francisco Pa
cific.
But IL was known before that DR. Will
lam Geiger. still living at Forest Grove
ore. says that DIR. Whitman told him
at Mr.. Spaldng's Immediately on his re-
turn from the East in 1ss5 and told IL to
him twenty times afterwards and always
alike. Horace Hart late Of Prescott,
Wash. says he heard about IL from Mr..
Spalding In 1916. Rev. III. Lyman, one or
two years after he came To Oregon. which
was in 1919: Rev. o. Dickinson, of the Sa-