East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1911-08-23

nalizing the achievements and the
sacrifices of the northwest pageant
through the centuries. but these must
of Oregon's birth.
Destiny, which is but another name
for the God of Nations, seems to have !
held the Oregon country free until
America was ready 10 control and
protect it, British Columbia may yet
be ours. The western provinces of
Canada are rapidly becoming Ameri-
canized, and another century may
witness their peaceful adoption as
states of the great republic.
The great silent forces of Divine
Providence are now manifest in re-
Prospect in the history Of the Ameri-
can Pacific. Spain, Holland. Russia,
France, England, all sent their most
skillful navigators and alert captains
to survey these shores and TO seek
the northwest passage Their eyes
were blinded, and it was given TO
Robert Gray, an humble New Eng
land trading captain, to discover the
Great River of the West, and to thus
claim for the United States the vast
territory which its waters drained.
The vast domain Of Louisiana whose
northwestern boundary was never for
mally determined, passed from Spain
to France in 1900 to satisfy the child
ish desire of frivolous Spanish pr.n-
cess for little Tuscany. The power
which held sovereignty over Louis
lana was in a position to control the
northwest coast, if indeed its lines
did not actually extend to the ocean.
In 1903 Napoleon, in an hour when
he saw the English shadow upon his
career, transferred that magnificent
area to the United States. Thus the
Corsican commander whose blows
went far to destroy feudalism in the
old world, contributed to the cause
of free government in the new world,
and indeed, as he then predicted,
gave to Great Britain a rival for the
ultimate domination of the English
speaking race. Because of the Louis
lana purchase, jefferson, who next to
Washington was easily the most pow
erful influence in the early years OF
our national life, was induced to in
expedition, whereby the newly ac-
CURED territory was officially eX-
plored and through which the dis
covery OF Captain Gray was officially
examined. But of greater Importance
than all else was the effect upon
Jefferson himself. He was pres dent
when Louisiana became American
soil. Prior to that incident he was OF
narrow vision, a Lite American. He
was the national dol, ana his atti-
tude upon territorial expansion and
1euerai authority the people readily
accepted Spain ceGed FLORIDA 70 the
United States from the mouth of the
SABINE meander.ng nOrthwesterly u
the Pacific ocean on the 42nd paral-
lei, the northern boundary OF CdLIor-
ma. incidentally she, IN the same
tlvoty rcLnqusned all her territorial
CLAIMS norm anu east of Inal line,
mus vesung N TINS government al
the ancient ana pers-atsn, opanIsn
claims to the Oregon country, as far
north as Russian America. In the
Nootka treaty England had infer
cntally recognized Spanish rights III
that domain, and our inheritance
thereof was not without significance
and weight in the final boudary ne
suuatlORs. The experiment of Mr.
AstOr in 1911, whatever us base pUr-
pose, was spectacular enough to at
tract the attention OF those Stern ana
iorcetul characters, che lore-Tunn-rs
OF civilization, whose work mas Deen
To blaze the wilderness trains. Some
Lmes by tuT sometimes by IVORY,
sometimes by commerce. Here lne
fur traders grasped the comprehen-
sNe character OF the AstOr scheme,
and aided by the incident of the 1872
wax, -ei4eu the L-eld and IaIloweu IL
lOr a later harvest OF community ne.
rlnaIly Providence directed that in
the quarter century WhIcn mus.
eiapse between sayagry ana JV.Lza-
lion here, the control Uf the gJuulIy
should be IN the hands of u race Oh
men capable OF nOldlng the Inu.an
trlUes IN check and enforcing suD-
s.artal order in Il lawIess land. The
scOtush Iur traders were emoued
with u spirit which reckoneu human
ity more than money, and when COM
PEELED to elect never ialIeU to suooI-
uinatc the selfish demands OF th-.r
companies to the higher needs Ui the
cmisrants. Fortunate indeed Tor
oregon was It that Scotland and not
spain furnished the brains OF the
northwest and Hudson BAY comVan-
ias Ia the western world.
For near thrce-quarters Of cen-