Milford chronicle., 1904-07-08

than did the four Flathead Indian
coming TO find the white mans Chris
in the Missouri frontier town of 1S3.
yet even there in that St Louis frontie
town they could not find the whit
mans book of heaven. These Flatheat
Indians found there the white man
sins. but not the white mans God.
Let me now read to you the stran
gest valedictOry ever given at am
place. The two older Indians VIII,
came on this mission of seeking tn,
white mans God had died. When tn,
two younger braves were about to de
part for their own faraway wigwams
one of them in Indian elOquence spake
these words, which We're published in
the little frontier paper of that time
I came to you over the trail of many
moons from the setting sun You were
the friends of my fathers, who have
all gone the long way. l came with
/ an eye partly opened for more light
for my people, who sit in darkness.
/ 90 back with both eyes closed. How
can l go back blind to my blind people
who sit I'm darkness? l made my way
to You with strong arms through many
enemies and strange lands that | might
carry back much to them. / go back
with both arms broken and empty
My people sent me to get the white
mans book of heaven. You took me
where you allow your women to dance
as we do not ours, and the book was
worship the Great Spirit with candles.
and the book was not there. You
showed me the images of the Good
Spirit and pictures of the good land
beyond, but the book was not among
them to tell us the way. l am going
back the long sad trail to my people
of the dark land. You make my feet
heavy with gifts. and my moccasins
will grow old in carrying them. yet the
book is not among them. When tell
my poor blind people after one more
moon in the big council that l did not
bring the book no word will be spoken
by our old men or by our young braves.
One by one they will rise up and 80
out in silence. My people will die in
the darkness. and they will 80 on the
long path to other hunting grounds.
No white man will 20 with them and
no white mans book to make the way
slain. have no more words"
Whitman's Response to the Call.
1t was the publication OF these words,
copied in the eastern papers, that made
Marcus Whitman heed the call of the
Nez Perces Indians: it was the publi-
cation of these words that nerved
Whitman to cOnsccrate all his life to
giving the Flathcad Indians the white
mans Book of Life" 1t was that re
solve to go in the name of Christ to
the far northwest which made it pOssi-
bic for Marcus Whitman to save Ore
gOn to the Union.
Marcus Whitman did not go to the
banks Of the Columbia to save Oregon
for the Union. He went to the north
west to save the red men for Christ.
When God calls us to one sphere of
work he will always open for us other
spheres of labor if we will only obey
his first call, which says: Come!
Come! Come now"
But Marcus Whitman was a states
man as well as a humble gospel mis-
sionary. Like Livingstone in Africa,
he saw how much could be done in
that land by the resources of civiliza-
ton. His prophetic gaze Travelled on
through the centuries, and he lOnged
o have that fair region under Christian
Influences and prOspering under the
white mans skill and industry. He
could hear the tramp of the oncoming
as well as the creaking
If his cart wheels by his side. There
'ore, when Marcus Whitman. on the
'amous Fourth of July, 1896 with his
yOung bride, spread the blankets upon
he top Of the Rocky mountains, with
Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson
afar off as guarding sentnels,
md dedicated that western soil Of God
md his native land, like Paul. he was !
by a great cloud Of wit
lesses. In inspired vision he could
ee the farmers of 1904 planting their
eeds in those valleys He could see
hose mighty forests changed into
omes and factories and stores and
braries and schools and churches.
Ie could hear the singing of the now
lg machines and see the white winged S
hips like great sea gulls floating in i
hose harbors. And as Columbus took
of the new world in the S
ames of Ferdinand and Isabella, who {
tied out his small fleet, Marcus Whit
ian dedicated this western soil to his t
wO masters - to his God and to the I
Inited States government.
Fought by Greed and seIRshness.
lie dedicated this western soil in I.
Dite Of the fact that all could be
aid to discourage settlers had been
lid in calumnious disparagemen The (,
hudson Bay company wanted it left
/ the undisturbed possession Of the :
lid animals whose skins they We're
Irning into gold. They wanted It for !,
perpetual hunting ground. Therefore