Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1903-06-19
PIONEERS HIGH MOTIVE
Paper by Hon. John Mimic, Read at
Polk County Pioneer Reunion.

Pioneers Of Polk County: Com
ing as a helper and witness Of both
the action and motive of the
wonderful world movement of the
pioneers to Oregon in the early
40's Of the past century, | call your
attention to words OF the present
President of the United States
(himself an historian) to the value
he places upon your action and
that of the class you represented.
He says in recent address: "From
the founding of our Government to
the Civil War, the men who did
most effective work for the growth
of the Nation were those who by
pack train, wagon train, on foot,
on horseback, or by boat, aided in
expanding the settlements from
the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific" !"
This, | believe, will be the verdict
of history. My purpose now is
merely to indicate that the pioneers
of Oregon, often, I think, uncon-
sciously, were chief actors in this
grand action. No oppression of
any kind impelled. One of the
most eminent jurists the Pacific
Coast has produced, in carefully
prepared address to the Oregon
pioneers, said that to save the Ore
gon country to the United States
against the claims Of Great Britain
"is too high motive to be reason
able" But, as was witness to
that being the first reason given by
one of the foremost men who came
in 1914, and heard one of like
standing of those who came in
1843 say that was his first reason,
and know that it was the most
common sentiment given out at
the camp-fres on the way, I have
been searching ever since VIM.
Lair Hill made his address for ad-
ditional motives to that which
those leaders declared.
This l easily find in hereditary
family influences, which, as early
as 1774, were being lodged in the
frontier families of Virginia by the
bad faith shown to them by King
George III of England. This King
had promised lands in the Ohio
Valley to Virginia volunteers
against the French in Canada and
their Indian allies. Service was
rendered under this promise. The
French and their allies were beaten,
and the Virginia and Pennsylvania
frontiersmen were locating homes
in the head of the Ohio Valley
Earl Dunmore, the Kings appoint
ed Governor of Virginia, and his
deputy, DR.. John Con-
nelly, were both busy locating
lands in the Ohio from Pittsburg.
When change of policy was pro-
nounced from Quebec, the Ohio
N&lley was SET apart as province
for the Natives. White subjects of
His Majesty were ordered to keep
out of that country, and those who
had taken lands were ordered to
leave them. The French traders
and their former allies were made |
special pets under this change of
policy and act of bad faith. The
war of races on the frontiers of
and Pennsylvania were
by aid OF arms furnished |
the Natives by French traders from
Detroit. Governor Dunmore called |
out 5000 troops in two divisions,
one half to be under his personal |
command; the other half, drawn |
from the extreme Virginia frontier
settlers-the eastern slope of the /
Blue Ridge--met at the site of the
present Lewisburg, whence, under
General Andrew Lewis, they cut |
their way through the woods to the
point of junction of the Kenawa