The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-03-16
MARCUS WHI1MAN'S RIDE.

Rocky mountains from Oregon to Wash
ington in the winter of 1S42-43 is moth
ing but a mere legend. He called arten-
ton to the matter at a recent meeting OF
the. American Historical society in De-
troit, and in January he published his
views in the American Historical Re
view His contention is that Whitman's
ride had no political significance, but
on the contrary was religious errand
purely, and played no part in saving the
Oregon territory to the United States.
Every schoolboy to-day learns the
STORY of how Marcus Whitman, mis-
,sionary on the Pacific coast, rode across
the continent and saved Oregan and the
adjoining territory from the British In
1872. while the ownership of all that
country was still in dispute according
to the common version, the Hudson Bay
company laid plans to bring in English
settlers from the Ped River country to
strengthen the British title TO Oregon.
IN October Of that year, while Mr..
Whitman was dining at trading post
at Fort Walla Walla. news came of the
arrival of colony of Canadians from
the Red River country. The company
became jubiant and young priest
cried: W.
s'Hurrah for Oregon! America is too
late and we have got the country
Immediately Whitman realized that if
Canadian immigration had begun, the au-
liberties, at Washington ought to know
It, ana counter immigration ought TO
be promoted, so that when joint occupa-
ton ended, the presence Of a majority Of
Americans would turn the balance in ia
vor of the United States. In spite OF pro-
tests, accordingly Whitman set out for
the capital. His journey across the
mountains in the middle of winter was
slow and periloas. But he arrived at
Washington in the following March. just
IN time to secure the postDonement of
negotiations looking to the surrender cs
Oregon. ~ ...-'
incidental or collateral ASSUMPTIONS
usually accompany the statement" SAYS
Prof. Bourne, Ito the effect that great
ignorance and Indifference in regard to
Oregon prevailed IN Washington and gem
orally Throughout the United States and
that Dr. Whitman was able to dispel the
Ignorance and to transform the indiffer-
encc into a deep and widespread inter.
est.
In both the essentials and the expla1la-
tory details the story of how Marcus
whitman saved Oregon is fictitious 1t
IS not only without trustworthy contcrl-
well-e:tablished facts. The story first
energies over twenty years after the
events, and seventeen years after the
death of Whitman" .. ia s....-.,
For, a main argument, Prof. Bourne re-
hes "a the records of the American
board of commissioners for foreign mis-
. sions, which had charge of the work in
Oregon. Various letters and orders of the
society at that time all go to show tina
DR.. Whitman came East in order to
argue for the reversal Of vote discon-
tinuing the southern branch of the Oregon
station. AS to the presence of DR.. Whit
man in Washington, says New Haven
letter to the New York Sun, Prof Bourne
so far has been able to find no trace of
local contemporary evidence. Among the
papers he has searched in vain may be
named the Globe, the National Intel
lgencer and Niles Register, although
their pages for 1S43 contain many insig-
n1hcant items of Oregon news. Other
sources Of information alike silent are
Curtis's 'Webster' and Webster's ':Pri-
waite Correspondence" the diary of John
Quincy Adams, chairman of the house
committee on foreign affairs Benton's
Thirty Years View" although Benton
was a champion of Oregon, and Green
how's History of Oregon although
Greenhow was a translator in the state
department and collected vast amocnt
of information about Oregon. Likewise
the Life and Speeches of Senator Linn
Of Missouri who was the most advanced
leader of the Oregon party, makes no
reference to Whitman.
Indeed, the only contemporary evidence
of DR.. Whitman's activity in Washington
which the professor has found is in a
letter which the missionary himself wrote
after his return to Oregon. The letter
was sent to the secretary Of war. and ac~
companied q bill which Whitman had
drafted to promote safe intercourse with
Oregon It begins: a .-. 5z,>. ri.
'In compliance with the request YOU
Old mo the hcncr to make last winter
while in Wash1 gton I herewith trans
NIT ~ -ss#
In addition to this there is the testi-
'mony Of what Mr. Whitman told fellow
enigrant on the return trip, A. L. Lowe
JOY Lovejoy in 1876 gave his recolleetions
as follows: s....g FL
1.-The doctor often expressed himself to
me about the manner in which he was
received at Washington. . s.. The doc
tor had several interviews with President
Tyler, Secretary Webster and many mem
of Oregon. He urged the immediate ter
animation of the treaty with Great Britain
relative to this country, ard the extern
sion of the laws OF the United Sta ties,
and to provide liberal inducements to en-
dgrants to come to this coast"
."A'' ssss is probable afirms Dr~~
lhourne, ''put there was nothing novel in
it, because the Linn bill, which had
passed the senate the month previous,
had all these objects in view. Lovejoyss
recollection shows not trace of the
rived in the nick of time to save Oregon
In lthe first place, Oregon was In no dan
ger of being lost. The real danger was
that the government would be pushed by
the Oregon advocates in the West into
an aggressive policy which might result
in war with England
When the Linn bill passed the senate
FEB. 3, by vote Of "a to %, providing
for the extension of the laws of the
united States over the whole of the Ore
tgon territory, there was not the slightest
danger of the senate ratifying treaty
ITO aEenate the territory. The appearance
Eof a solitary missionary in Washington
advocating what a majority OF the senate
had already voted and what state legfs-
tlatures were demanding in resolutions.
was vefitably a drop in the bucket and
LOT equal significance. That Whitman in
fuenced American diplomacy in any way
lat Washington is not only destitute OF all
eyidence. but is intrinsically inaprobable
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