East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1916-09-21
Last Steps in Formation Of First Oregon Government

- OHS SSUHA
vas distinctly TO his advantage to cul-
uvate friendly relations with these
rev settlers for they were making his
property on the Willamette distinctly
more valuable and more profitable
| His land claim al the falls Of the Will
lamette had been surveyed and plat
/ ted out into a town named Oregon
/ City" He believed this place "des-
| tined by nature to De the best place
for commerce in this country" This
/ town had already become the most
considerable settlement in the VIII
/ lamette Valley. Iieutenants Warre
and Vavasour, two British officers,
reported to their government in Oc-
tober. 1S45, a population for it Of some
three hundred people with a hun
dred dwelling houses and stores, The
Increasing population evidently made
/ this town property more valuable. In
addition Mclaughlin had established
grist and sawmills AZ the falls which
! became more profitable sources OF
revenue as the inhabitants Of that
\ region became more numerous. He
1 could not feel altogether secure in his
claim as long as he held himself aloof
/ from participation in government
! that had been founded by men anXi-
Gus to secure their titles TO land and
I 20 Dh b.
each others holdings. He had been
4 troubled with squatters on his land
! and a rival claimant notably the Rev
erend Mr. Waller. whom he had
bought off in April, 1874. by a pay
ment of $500 and transfer Of some OF
the lots at oregon City. Dr. Nc
Loughlin had also just paid five
thousand five hundred dollars to the
Methodist mission for the lots claim
ed by that organization at Oregon
City because as he saws he could not
produce a legal test Of proprietor
ship" and this ground was needed to
complete his establishment (IAst
Letter, p. 1927. He felt that there
was serious danger of losing this
property should the boundary settle
ment be favorable to the United States
before he had secured a title the vail
dity of which was at least as good as
that Of other settlers in the valley
True. the legislative committee had,
in 1874. repealed the clause in the
land law of 1S43 which had been di-
IL fEafnnAaI ~ 1nrrsvra u nF g-
claim but he had been made to feel
in many trivial ways the hostility Of
the government. The legislature had
even gone so far as to refuse him the
privilege of constructing and oper-
ating a ferry across the Willamette.
So long as he had not part in the gov
ernment he could expect no favors at
its hands.
Furthermore, there is evidence that
McLOughlin had some ambition to as
sumo leadership over the people of
the whole oregon country and a con-
fidence in his ability to win the re-
spect and support Of the American
element. In short, he was moved by
political ambition and love for the
power and influence that the gover-
norship of the new state might give
In letter written to Sir J. H. Pelly,
November Is, 1874, Dr. Mclaughlin
predicts that If the boundary question
is not settled by the two governments,
Great Britain and the United States
the settlers in Oregon territory will
declare an independent state "of
which I might be elected head were
I to retire among them" Copy Of let
ter in possession of Professor Schaf-
er.) 1t would thus seem that Nc
Loughlin was already contemplating
the retirement" that he actually car
ried out year later and was looking
forward to the tulfillment Of an am
hilton for leadership. There is moth
ing in his character to make such a
conclusion improbable. He was of a
distinctly masterful temperament and
might easily have underestimated the
difficulties in the path of such an am
hition. The sequal was to prove
something quite different from these
anticipations. Thus It seems that
motives of financial interest and per-
scnal political ambition may have
been promoting Chief Factor Nc
LOughlin to bring himself, his people
end the property of his company
under the Jurisdiction of the Oregon
Provisional Government.
To the company's superior officer.
however. Mclaughlin in justifying his
action in recognizing and uniting with
the new government in August, 1S45,
advanced only those arguments that
convinced him that such action best
served the interest Of the company
and British subjects in general I'VE
have Welded" he says. TO the wishes
Of the respectable part of the people
in the country, of British and Am
erican origin by uniting with them in
the formation Of a temporary and
provisional government designed to
prevent disorders and maintain peace.
until the settlement of the boundary
question leaves that duty to the par
ent states" (from Mclaughlin letters
of August 80 and November 20, 1S45,
copies made by Professor Schafer.
The second letter is given as first part
Of last letter printed in American
Hist. Rev 21 110-116). To McLough-
lin at this time the situation seemed
critical The property Of the COM
pany was subject to intrusion and at
tack, exposed in the midst Of popu-
lation living without the restraint Of
laws "A crisis was evidently fast
which would drive US to
the painful necessity Of yielding to