that he has been the long tried friend of Americans and
American enterprise west of the mountains. Your early reply
will be highly appreciated, both for its information, and your
relation to my country.
"I am, sir, yours very truly,
"S. R. THURSTON."
"Cambridge, Nov. 21, 1850."
"Hon. Sam'l R. Thurston:
"Dear Sir--Your favor of the 16th inst., was received on the
19th. The first time I visited the Columbia, in the autumn of
1832, I reached Vancouver with a disorganized party of ten
persons, the remnant of twenty-four who left the States. Wholly
worn out and disheartened, we were received cordially, and
liberally supplied, and there the party broke up. I returned to
the States in the Spring of 1833 with one man. One of the
party, Mr. John Ball, remained and planted wheat on the
Willamette, a little above Camp du Sable, having been supplied
with seed and implements from Vancouver, then under the charge
of John McLoughlin, Esq., and this gentleman I believe to have
been the first American who planted wheat in Oregon. I returned
to the country in the autumn of 1834, with a large party and
more means, having on the way built Fort Hall, and there met a
brig which I sent around the Horn. In the winter and spring of
1835, I planted wheat on the Willamette and on Wappatoo Island.
"The suffering and distressed of the early American visitors
and settlers on the Columbia were always treated by Hudson's
Bay Company's agents, and particularly so by John McLoughlin,
Esq., with consideration and kindness, more particularly the
Methodist Missionaries, whom I brought out in the autumn of
1834. He supplied them with the means of transportation, seeds,
implements of agriculture and building, cattle and food for a
long time.
"I sincerely regret that the gentleman, as you state, has
become odious to his neighbors in his old age.
"I am your ob't serv't,
"NATH. J. WYETH."
"Cambridge, Nov. 28, 1850."
"Hon. Robert C. Winthrop:
"Dear Sir--I have received a letter from Sam'l R. Thurston, of
which the following is a portion:
"'I desire you to give me as correct a description as you can
at this late period, of the manner in which you and your party,
and your enterprise in Oregon, were treated by the Hudson's
Bay Company west of the Rocky mountains, and particularly by
Dr. John McLoughlin, then its Chief Factor. This Dr. McLoughlin
has since you left the country, rendered his name odious among
the people of Oregon, by his endeavors to prevent the
settlement of the country and cripple its growth. Now that he
wants a few favors of our Government, he pretends that he has
been the long-tried friend of Americans and American enterprise
west of the mountains.'
"I have written Mr. Thurston, in reply to the above extract,
that myself and parties were kindly received, and were treated
well in all respects by J. McLoughlin, Esq., and the officers
of the Hudson's Bay Co.; but from the tenor of his letter, I
have no confidence that my testimony will be presented before
any committee to whom may be referred any subjects touching the
interests of said John McLoughlin, Esq.
"The very honorable treatment received by me from Mr.
McLoughlin during the years inclusive from 1832 to 1836, during
which time there were no other Americans on the Lower Columbia,
except myself and parties, calls on me to state the facts.
"The purpose of this letter is to ask the favor of you to
inform me what matter is pending, in which Mr. McLoughlin's
interests are involved, and before whom, and if you will
present a memorial from me on the matters stated in Mr.
Thurston's letter as above.
"Respectfully and truly your ob't servant,
"NATH. J. WYETH."
"Washington, Dec. 28, 1850."
"Dear Sir--I took the earliest opportunity to enquire of Mr.
Thurston what there was pending before Congress or the
Executive, in which Mr. McLoughlin's character or interest were
concerned. He would tell me nothing, nor am I aware of
anything.
"Respectfully your ob't serv't,
"R. C. WINTHROP."
"To. N. J. Wyeth, Esq."
"John McLoughlin, Esq.:
"Dear Sir--On the 19th of December, 1850, I received a letter
from Sam'l R. Thurston, delegate from Oregon, of which see copy
No. 1, and by same mail an Oregon newspaper containing a
communication over your signature, the letter [latter], I
think, addressed in your handwriting.
"From the tenor of Mr. Thurston's letter, I presumed he wanted
my testimony for some purpose not friendly to yourself. I
answered his letter as per copy No. 2, but doubting if my
testimony, except it suited his views, would be presented, and
being ignorant of his intentions, I wrote the Hon. R. C.
Winthrop, late Speaker of the House of Representatives, and at
present a member of the Senate of the United States, as per
copy, [No. 3] and received from him a reply as per copy [No.
4].
"Should you wish such services as I can render in this part of
the United States, I shall be pleased to give them in return
for the many good things you did years since, and if my
testimony as regards your efficient and friendly actions
towards me and the other earliest Americans who settled in
Oregon, will be of use in placing you before the Oregon people
in the dignified position of a benefactor, it will be
cheerfully rendered.
"I am, with much respect, yours truly,
"NATH. J. WYETH."
"Mr. Thurston writes to Mr. Wyeth, 'That Dr. McLoughlin has,
since you left the country, rendered his name odious to the
people of Oregon.' (That I have rendered my name odious to the
people of Oregon, is what I do not know.) And 'By his endeavors
to prevent the settlement of the country, and to cripple its
growth.' I say I never endeavored to prevent the settlement of
the country, or to cripple its growth, but the reverse. If the
whole country had been my own private property, I could not
have exerted myself more strenuously than I did to introduce
civilization, and promote its settlement. 'Now that he wants a
few favors of our Government, he pretends that he has been the
long tried friend of Americans and American enterprise west of
the mountains.' Mr. Wyeth states how I acted towards him and
his companions, the first Americans that I saw on this side of
the mountains. Those that came since, know if Mr. Thurston
represents my conduct correctly or not. As to my wanting a few
favors, I am not aware that I asked for any favors. I was
invited by the promises held out in Linn's bill, to become an
American citizen of this territory. I accepted the invitation
and fulfilled the obligations in good faith, and after doing
more, as I believe will be admitted, to settle the country and
relieve the immigrants in their distresses, than any other man
in it, part of my claim, which had been jumped, Mr. Thurston,
the delegate from this territory, persuades Congress to donate
Judge Bryant, and the remainder is reserved. I make no
comment--the act speaks for itself, but merely observe, if I
had no claim to Abernethy Island, why did Mr. Thurston get
Congress to interfere, and what had Judge Bryant done for the
territory to entitle him to the favor of our delegate? Mr.
Thurston is exerting the influence of his official situation to
get Congress to depart from its usual course, and to interfere
on a point in dispute, and donate that island to Abernethy, his
heirs and assigns, alias Judge Bryant, his heirs and assigns.
"Yours respectfully,
"JNO. MCLOUGHLIN."
With this correspondence was published the following letter from Doctor
McLoughlin to the Editor of the _Oregon Spectator_: "I handed the
following letters to the Editor of the _Statesman_, and he refused to
publish them, unless as an advertisement." This last letter is quoted to
show that the letters set forth in this Document O are authentic. The
first number of the _Oregon Statesman_ was published March 28, 1851.[69]
DOCUMENT P
_Letter from Rev. Vincent Snelling to Dr. John McLoughlin of March 9,
1852._
The original of the following letter is now in the possession of the
Oregon Historical Society, from which this copy is made. Rev. Vincent
Snelling was the first Baptist minister who came to Oregon.
"Oregon City, 9th March, 1852."
"Mr. John McLoughlin, Esq.,
"Dear Sir:
"Having learned that you intend shortly to visit Washington
City, and knowing that you have been misrepresented by our
Delegate from this country,--and wishing as an honest man, and
a friend to truth and justice, to contribute something toward
the correction of those misrepresentations, I submit to your
acceptance and disposal the following:
"I arrived in Oregon in the fall of 1844 and have been an
observer of your treatment of and conduct to the American
immigrants. I know that you have saved our people from
suffering by hunger and I believe from savage cruelty also. I
know you sent your boats to convey them down the Columbia
river, free of charge, and that you also sent them provisions
when they were in a state of starvation, and that you directed
them to be distributed among the immigrants, to those that were
destitute of money equally with those that had. Nor did your
kindness stop there, as many of us lost nearly all we possessed
by the time we arrived in the valley. You continued your favors
by letting us have both food and raiment for the year, seed
wheat, and charging no more than the same number of bushels the
next harvest, plows and cattle to plow with. To conclude I do
affirm that your conduct ever since I have known you has been
such as to justify the opinion that you were friendly to the
settlement of the country by Americans. I judge the tree [by]
its fruit; you have done more for the American settlers than
all the men that were in it, at that time.
"With sincere wishes that you may obtain your rights,
"I subscribe myself yours,
"VINCENT SNELLING,
"Ord. Minister Gospel, Baptist."
DOCUMENT Q
_Excerpts from "The Hudson's Bay Company and Vancouver's Island" by
James Edward Fitzgerald, published in London in 1849; and excerpt from
"Ten Years in Oregon" by Rev. Daniel Lee and Rev. J. H. Frost, published
in New York in 1844._
In order to show some of the unjustifiable abuse of Dr. McLoughlin from
British sources, I here insert an excerpt from pp. 13-18, inclusive, of
"The Hudson's Bay Company and Vancouver's Island" by J. E. Fitzgerald.
He says: "Dr. M'Loughlin was formerly an Agent in the North West Fur
Company of Montreal; he was one of the most enterprising and active in
conducting the war between that Association and the Hudson's Bay
Company. In the year 1821, when the rival companies united, Dr.
M'Loughlin became a factor of the Hudson's Bay Company. But his
allegiance does not appear to have been disposed of along with his
interests; and his sympathy with anything other than British, seems to
have done justice to his birth and education, which were those of a
French Canadian.
"This gentleman was appointed Governor of all the country west of the
Rocky Mountains; and is accused, by those who have been in that country,
of having uniformly encouraged the emigration of settlers from the
United States, and of having discouraged that of British subjects.
"While the Company in this country were asserting that their settlements
on the Columbia River were giving validity to the claim of Great Britain
to the Oregon territory, it appears, that their chief officer on the
spot was doing all in his power to facilitate the operations of those,
whose whole object it was to annihilate that claim altogether.
"There is one story told, about which it is right that the truth should
be ascertained. It is said that a number of half-breeds from the Red
River settlement were, in the year 1841, induced by the Company's
officers to undertake a journey entirely across the continent, with the
object of becoming settlers on the Columbia River.
"It appears that a number went, but on arriving in the country, so far
from finding any of the promised encouragement, the treatment they
received from Dr. M'Loughlin was such, that, after having been nearly
starved under the paternal care of that gentleman, they all went over to
the American settlement on the Wallamette valley.
"These emigrants became citizens of the United States, and it is further
said, were the first to memorialize Congress to extend the power of the
United States over the Oregon territory.
"For the truth of these statements we do not of course vouch. But we do
say they demand inquiry.
"Dr. M'Loughlin's policy was so manifestly American, that it is openly
canvassed in a book written by Mr. Dunn, one of the servants of the
Company, and written for the purpose of praising their system and
policy.
"Sir Edward Belcher also alludes to this policy. He says,--'Some few
years since, the Company determined on forming settlements on the rich
lands situated on the Wallamatte and other rivers, and for providing for
their retired servants by allotting them farms, and further aiding them
by supplies of cattle &c. That on the Wallamatte was a field too
inviting for missionary enthusiasm to overlook; but instead of selecting
a British subject to afford them spiritual assistance, recourse was had
to Americans--a course pregnant with evil consequences, and particularly
in the political squabble pending, as will be seen by the result. No
sooner had the American and his allies fairly squatted,--(which they
deem taking possession of the country) than they invited their brethren
to join them, and called on the American Government for laws and
protection.'
"A great deal of importance is attached to the account given by
Commodore Wilkes, U. S. N., of the operations of the Hudson's Bay
Company on the north-west coast; and it is inferred that testimony,
coming from such a quarter, is doubly in favour of the Company.
"Nothing, indeed, can be higher than the terms in which Captain Wilkes
speaks of the Hudson's Bay Company's chief factor, Dr. M'Loughlin, and
of the welcome he met, and the hospitality he experienced during his
stay upon the coast.
"Captain Wilkes was far too sensible and discriminating a man, not to
see, plainly enough, whose game Dr. M'Loughlin was playing. But there is
something strange, if we turn from the perusal of Captain Wilkes'
narrative, and the description of the facilities which were ever
afforded him, to the following passage from Sir Edward Belcher's voyage:
"The difference of the reception which a frigate of the United States
Navy met with, from that which one of Her Majesty's ships experienced,
is a most suspicious fact, as suggesting the animus of the Company's
agents upon the north-west coast. Sir Edward Belcher says: 'The
attention of the Chief to myself, and those immediately about me,
particularly in sending down fresh supplies, previous to my arrival, I
feel fully grateful for; but I cannot conceal my disappointment at the
want of accommodation exhibited towards the crews of the vessels under
my command, in a British possession.'
"We certainly were not distressed, nor was it imperatively necessary
that fresh beef and vegetables should be supplied, or I should have made
a formal demand. But as regarded those who might come after, and not
improbably myself among the number, I inquired in direct terms what
facilities Her Majesty's ships of war might expect, in the event of
touching at this port for bullocks, flour, vegetables, &c. I certainly
was extremely surprised at the reply, that 'they were not in a condition
to supply.'... The American policy of the Hudson's Bay Company would
seem from the above facts, to be more than a matter of suspicion.
"It is very easy to say, these are idle tales; they are tales--but such
tales, that Parliament ought to make a searching investigation into
their truth.... It is certain that Dr. McLoughlin has now left the
Hudson's Bay Company, and has become _nominally_, what he seems to have
been for years, _really_--an _American citizen_, living in the midst of
an American population, which he collected around him, upon soil, to
which he knew that his own country had, all along, laid claim."
Sir Edward Belcher's exploring expedition was at Fort Vancouver in
August, 1839. He insisted that the crews of his vessels should be
supplied with fresh beef. Dr. McLoughlin was not then at Fort Vancouver.
Probably he had not returned from his trip to England in 1838-9. Mr.
Douglas, who was in charge, refused Belcher's request because the supply
of cattle was not sufficient for that purpose. Fresh beef was supplied
to Sir Edward Belcher and his officers.
Commodore Wilkes and his exploring expedition were on the Oregon Coast
in 1841. He did not ask for his crews to be supplied with provisions. He
was grateful for the kind treatment of himself, his officers and men, by
Dr. McLoughlin and other officers of the Hudson's Bay Company. Sir
Edward Belcher, it seems, was not grateful.[70]
In relation to the Red River immigrants, who arrived in 1841, the
statement of Fitzgerald is mostly untrue. These settlers came to Oregon
in 1841 under the auspices of the Hudson's Bay Company and settled on
Nisqually Plains, near Puget Sound. These plains are almost sterile,
being an enormous bed of very fine gravel mixed with some soil at the
surface. It is easy to understand how these settlers were disappointed
in living by themselves on the Nisqually Plains, when they could come to
the Willamette Valley with its fertile soil and be near the settlers in
the Willamette Valley. It must be borne in mind that when these Red
River settlers went to the Willamette Valley, they were practically as
much dependent on the Hudson's Bay Company and Dr. McLoughlin, as though
they had stayed on the Nisqually Plains.
Rev. Daniel Lee and Rev. J. H. Frost wrote a book entitled "Ten Years in
Oregon," which was printed in New York in 1844. On page 216 of that work
they say of these settlers from Red River: "They went to Nesqually, on
Pugit's Sound; but, after spending a year, it was found that the land
was of a very inferior quality, and that they could not subsist upon it.
Thus, after having subjected themselves to many hardships, and
privations, and losses, for almost two years, they had yet to remove to
the Walamet Valley, as promising to remunerate them for their future
toil, and make them forget the past. Accordingly most of them removed
and settled in the Walamet in 1841-2."
DOCUMENT R
_Note on authorship of "History of Oregon" in Bancroft's Works; and
sources of information for this monograph._
Hubert Howe Bancroft obtained a fine collection of books and pamphlets
relating to early Oregon and a great deal of other information before
the "History of Oregon," in his Works, was written. A great many Oregon
pioneers were personally interviewed and their statements reduced to
writing. He also borrowed, on a promise to return, a great many private
papers and other documents, including letters and copies of letters from
the heirs of Dr. McLoughlin and from other Oregon pioneers and heirs of
pioneers, which he has not yet returned, although he borrowed these
papers and documents more than twenty years ago. Said "History of
Oregon" is largely supplemented by foot-notes taken from this
information obtained, or caused to be obtained by Bancroft. The defense
of Dr. McLoughlin to the report of Capt. Warre and Lieut. Vavasour, was
afterwards returned to Dr. McLoughlin by James Douglas, to whom it was
sent by Sir George Simpson. It was among the papers loaned to Bancroft.
While Bancroft was a handy man in collecting materials, he wisely
employed Frances Fuller Victor, Oregon's best and greatest historian, to
write the "History of Oregon" for his Works. It was largely, if not
wholly, written by her. This applies particularly to that part of the
history up to and including the year 1850. For years she had been a
careful student of Oregon history. She had access to all the data
collected by Bancroft.
In 1871 Mrs. Victor published "The River of the West" which sets forth
many of the facts about Dr. McLoughlin, his land claim, and the actions
of the missionaries and the conspirators against him, which are
contained in this address and in the "History of Oregon" in Bancroft's
Works. Volume one of the latter history was published in 1886, and
volume two was published in 1888.
In writing this monograph on Dr. McLoughlin I have found _The River of
the West_ and Bancroft's _History of Oregon_ of some use, especially
where the information was taken from the documents so borrowed by
Bancroft. But I have obtained most of my facts from original sources.
Wherever it was possible I have consulted Oregon newspapers and books
and pamphlets written by persons who took part in the events described,
or which were written contemporaneous therewith, and letters written by
pioneers.
The Oregon Historical Society has a number of original letters, files of
early Oregon newspapers, and other documents relating to events in early
Oregon. Many of these I have examined and taken copies of. In this I
have been greatly aided by Mr. George H. Himes, for years the efficient
Assistant Secretary of the Oregon Historical Society, and Secretary of
the Oregon Pioneer Association. I have also obtained copies from two
issues of the _Oregon Spectator_ in the possession of the University of
Oregon, through the courtesy of Prof. Frederic G. Young.
DOCUMENT S
_Excerpts from opinions of contemporaries of Dr. McLoughlin._
In addition to opinions of Dr. McLoughlin set forth in the address, I
here set forth excerpts from other opinions, given by some of his
contemporaries. I have selected these out of many high opinions and
eulogies upon Dr. McLoughlin.
Judge Matthew P. Deady, in an address before the Oregon Pioneer
Association, in 1876, said:[71] "Dr. John McLoughlin was Chief Factor of
the Company [Hudson's Bay Company] west of the Rocky mountains, from
1824 to 1845, when he resigned the position and settled at Oregon City,
where he died in 1857, full of years and honor.... Although, as an
officer of the Company, his duty and interest required that he should
prefer it to the American immigrant or missionary, yet at the call of
humanity, he always forgot all special interests, and was ever ready to
help and succor the needy and unfortunate of whatever creed or clime.
"Had he but turned his back upon the early missionary or settler and
left them to shift for themselves, the occupation of the country by
Americans would have been seriously retarded, and attended with much
greater hardship and suffering than it was. For at least a quarter of a
century McLoughlin was a grand and potent figure in the affairs of the
Pacific slope.... But he has long since gone to his rest. Peace to his
ashes! Yet the good deeds done in the body are a lasting monument to his
memory, and shall in due time cause his name to be written in letters of
gold in Oregon history."
Governor Peter H. Burnett, from whose "Recollections and Opinions of An
Old Pioneer," I have already quoted, also said in that book (pp. 143,
144): "Dr. John McLoughlin was one of the greatest and most noble
philanthropists I ever knew. He was a man of superior ability, just in
all his dealings, and a faithful Christian. I never knew a man of the
world who was more admirable. I never heard him utter a vicious
sentiment, or applaud a wrongful act. His views and acts were formed
upon the model of the Christian gentleman. He was a superior business
man, and a profound judge of human nature.... In his position of Chief
Factor of the Hudson's Bay Company he had grievous responsibilities
imposed upon him. He stood between the absent directors and stockholders
of the Company and the present suffering immigrants. He witnessed their
sufferings; they did not. He was unjustly blamed by many of both
parties. It was not the business of the Company to deal upon credit; and
the manager of its affairs in Oregon was suddenly thrown into a new and
very embarrassing position. How to act, so as to secure the approbation
of the directors and stockholders in England, and at the same time not
to disregard the most urgent calls of humanity, was indeed the great
difficulty. No possible line of conduct could have escaped censure.