Same subject continud.
25th. To-day, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Rogers and myself left for Walla-walla.
Encampd with the Walla-walla chief, Piyu-piyu Maks-maks, (Yellow Swan,
often calld Yellow Bird, or Yellow Serpent.) We had a pleasant
interview. He said the Catholics had often urgd him to leave the
Protestants, and join them, but he should never join them, as it was too
much like their old religion, worshipping men, women, clothes,
swords,—&c. They had frequently requestd of him a place for a station,
but he had refused. They had told him in reply, he must go to hell, if
he followd the Protestants. He replied that as you say the Protestants
are bad, and I am bad, sure it is better that the bad go together. He
said that they had frequently told him that we were poisoning the
Indians, that the Bishop told them it was the Americans who brought the
measles into the country, that God had sent this disease upon them, to
show his displeasure at heretics.
This declaration, the chief thought the Bishops made in order to
prejudice the Indians against the heretics. Immediately on its being
made, the statement spread through the country like electricity. It was
in the mouth of every Indian, old and young—the great chief of the Black
gowns, (the Bishop,) tells us that the Americans brought the measles
into the country—that God sends this disease among the heretics, to show
the Indians how he hates the Americans. The excitement was intense, and
we felt our situation to be most critical,—we felt that we were in
danger from this source.
But the difficulties in our minds were, are these tangible evidences
that we can present to the public and our Board, that will convince them
that we are in danger from this source? Now that the bloody transaction
has taken place, circumstances and facts seem to point so plainly to
this source as the source whence originated the indirect causes of the
massacre, that many are ready to exclaim, “why did you not leave your
fields before?” And even our Catholic friends seem to be so thoroughly
convincd that our situation was a dangerous one, that many of them are
loudest in exclaiming, “you should have left your fields before.” But so
entirely hidden from the eye of the Christian world, were those
influences we feard, that had we left 3 days before the massacre, the
Papists would have settld quietly through the country, the Cayuse
continued, as they have been for years, friendly to the Americans—had we
publishd to the world as a reason of our leaving that we considerd our
lives in danger from the influences which the Papists were every where
exerting upon the minds of the Indians through their prejudices and
superstitions, who would have believd us? The world, the church and the
Board would have condemnd us as cowards leaving our work before there
was danger.
Besides, the Board have ever enjoind upon us, as also the Captain of our
salvation, to contend earnestly for the pure principles of christianity
against the errors and subverting principles of Romanism, and NOT TO
FLEE before them.
26th. Last night a niece of the chief died. He requested me to pray and
converse with the afflicted family. He farther requested that after
arriving at the fort, I would hold myself in readiness to attend the
funeral as soon as the corpse could be taken to the fort some four miles
distant, and preparations made for burying. As we were about to leave,
the chief took me by the hand and said, his heart would ever be with the
Americans. I am happy to learn that to a good degree, (considering the
influences which have been about him,) he has kept his word.
Reachd the fort early. Found here the “Bishop of Walla-walla” and five
priests. Three or four others had crossd to the north side of the
Columbia river, and were commencing stations on the Yankmaw river. Let
it be distinctly notied that this bishop was appointed “Bishop of
Walla-walla,” and sent into this field with his priests, while as yet
there was not a Catholic church or station, or priest (stationary) in
the whole district, but the field was entirely occupied by Protestant
missionaries, most of whom had been quietly laboring in their places for
eleven years.
Soon after we arrivd, a messenger came into the fort stating that all
things were ready for the funeral services. Mr. Rogers accompanid me to
the grave. A canoe had been cut into parts for the coffin and its cover.
On returning to the fort I enterd into familiar conversation with Rev.
Mr. Brouette, one of the priests, who can speak very good English, on
the subject of the “Catholic Ladder,” which has, for several years, been
distributed among our Indians, and I believe very generally through all
the tribes of Oregon. This “Ladder” and the instructions which usually
followd it, generally in the hands of half-breeds previously instructed,
declard the Roman Catholic church to be the only true church—that the
“Suyapu,” [Protestants, Americans,] Heretics, had left the true church
when Luther laid aside his black gown and cross and went after a
maid,—that we were all going down to hell,—that while we Protestants by
our poisons were causing them to die, by our instructions we were
sending them to hell.
The excitement producd among the Indians by these measures was most
intense. It is impossible for any one who was not a constant witness to
conceive of the agitated state of the Indians when this alarm was
fastend upon their superstitious minds, and consequently of our critical
and dangerous situation. My attention had been suddenly arrested by the
outcries and wailings of a whole camp, occasiond by the arrival of some
one with an additional explanation of the “Catholic Ladder,” always
accompanied with the declaration, the American missions are causing us
to die.
I told the priest that in self-defense and in order to counteract these
false ideas, I had prepard a chart on which was exhibited the rise of
the Papal church as predicted by Paul, 1st Timothy iv. 1-3, 2d Thes. ii.
3. I told him we understood where each other stood. He and his church
regarded and pronouncd us vile heretics and worthy to be persecuted and
expeld from the country, and reminded him of the means, the “Catholic
Ladder,” which would soon effect this object if not counteracted. On the
other hand, we Protestants regarded the Papal church as the Man of Sin,
and while I would as a neighbor afford them every facility my limited
means would allow, to aid them in the beginning in the way of
provisions, seeds, native books, &c., as I presumd they would do the
same by us in like circumstances, as a minister of what I regarded the
gospel of Christ, set for its defense in this part of the world, and
especially as having been first and long in the field, we should exert
ourselves to the utmost to enlighten and instruct the people, to
disabuse them of the errors and highly inflammatory doctrines every
where spreading through the country by this “Catholic Ladder” and its
teachers, greatly to our prejudice and danger.
Not to do any thing like working behind their backs, the chart was
brought and spread out before the bishop and his priests, and briefly
explaind.
The equality of the apostles as declard by their great Head, is
exhibited on this chart. The rise of the Man of Sin as foretold by Paul,
and which history and observation compel us to believe to be the church
of Rome by one markd sign, “forbidding to marry,” and the abominable sin
of idolatry in the worship of many and the bowing to the cross—is
represented in the chart, sitting in the temple of God, proclaiming
himself to be God, by the act of expiating given sins for fixd sums of
money, as 10s 6d for killing a father, brother or wife, 18s for going
into a nunnery alone, &c., and the burning of Bibles in New York in
1843, are represented. Other abominations as substantiated by history
and Catholic authors, are shown.
The exhibition of this chart calld forth a close but friendly
discussion. I askd one question—Is it true as claimd by one of your
authors that the priest has the power to reproduce the person of the
Lord Jesus Christ? Mr. Brouette replied distinctly, that he and every
priest had power given them to recreate the person of Jesus Christ
entire, flesh, bones, blood, head, hands, feet, &c., just as he was
while on earth, and farther, they have the power to communicate the Holy
Ghost, and to give even the Father himself. My blood ran cold! I was
shockd at the horrible blasphemy of my friend, who otherwise treated me
like a gentleman.
I told him if I could be made to believe that I had the power to
reproduce the person of Christ our Lord, I should be horribly shockd at
the idea of taking the deadly weapon and of committing murder, and of
cutting up this body and feeding it to the people, and so convert them
into a herd of cannibals, which is repeated many times every day in the
Roman Catholic church in the mass. He replied that it was the glorified
body of the Lord that they reproducd and sacrificd, and therefore it
could not be susceptible of suffering when cut up. I replied, your mass
then answers no purpose. The law of God requires as a condition of
salvation, “without shedding of blood,” i. e. without suffering, “there
is no remission of sins.” The glorified body of Christ cannot shed blood
or suffer. He then shifted back again and said, we continue the
sacrifice that was commencd on the cross. I rejoind, you admit the awful
fact. The natural, real person of our blessed Saviour was naild to the
cross and murderd by the wicked Jews. You claim to continue that murder.
Therefore by your own positions you are murderers and
cannibals,—therefore it follows unavoidably that the system of
Catholicism is downright cannibalism or base deception.
After tea, to which Mr. McRean kindly invited us, in company with the
bishop and his priests, our party left for Waiilatpu. Encampd on the
Tushee.
27th. Arrived at the station early. A message had arrivd from Hezekich
or Five Crows, and Tauwitwai on the Utilla, soliciting Dr. Whitman to
visit the sick in that camp. I should have mentiond under date of 25th,
that a Nez Perces in the camp of the Walla-walla chief, came to our tent
and askd if the doctor was not killd, with as much indifference as if he
had been inquiring about a horse. I replied, no. He said he heard the
doctor was to be killd. This Nez Perce was a young man from my place, in
whose statements no one ever expects to place any confidence. Had he
been apprizd of the purpose of the Cayuse to destroy all Americans, I
think he would have apprizd Mr. Jackson and myself, being our particular
friend.
I stated this to the doctor, Mr. Kimble and others, at the station,—we
considerd it a re-iteration of what had been said for a long time, “A
ball can penetrate your body.” True it was a time of great excitement
among the people on account of the measles and dysentery which they
every where said the Catholic priests told them were causd by us.
The doctor in one of his visits to the sick, had discovered Tamahas,
(calld the murderer for having killd several Indians, who had just
before lost his wife and who was the person, that, afterwards with two
blows upon the head, laid our lamented brother bleeding, senseless but
not lifeless, upon the floor,) in rather a suspicious attitude. From
that time, the doctor had been cautious. But there were no inflammatory
meetings among the chiefs as there had often been. For instance, when
they returnd from California two years ago after the death of the son of
the Walla-walla chief, several meetings were held to consider whether
the doctor, myself or some other American teacher, should be killd as a
set-off for Elijah. They came to the conclusion of a great majority at
least, and I believe unanimous, that no one should be killd, and pledgd
themselves in a full meeting, at which all those principal persons who
have staind their hands in the blood of their teachers, as also the
doctor and myself, were present, that we should not be injurd, and said
we must not leave the country.
Again, when a party of Nez Perces returnd from the Catholic station
among the Pointed-hearts, for many days fiery meetings were held through
the camp, at which were re-iterated like a lesson well learnd, what they
declard one and all they had receivd from the priests at the station,
(in which were insinuations and assertions that endangerd our lives,) we
were the authors of their sickness and death, the teachers of doctrines
which would ruin the Indians. But now there were none of these meetings.
On the other hand, all the Indians appeard friendly, were constantly
coming for medicines, gruels, and other food, and warm in expressing
their gratitude to the doctor for his unwearied labors among them.
The Cayuse at this time were in a more promising attitude than ever
before. They were enlarging their farms, fencing them better, employing
the doctor to build granaries, break up land, build fences, &c., who
kept from time to time several teams employd in this business. Their
attention to religious instruction was not abated. They were giving the
doctor no trouble as formerly, about the mills, the land, the timber,
&c. In fact, aside from the fearful movements of the Catholics crowding
in upon us, the doctor was more encouragd than at any time before.
If any are disposd to attach blame to Dr. Whitman because he did not arm
himself and others on that day and prepare for defense, let that blame
rest upon the living,—let it rest upon the writer, and not upon the
eminently devoted, pious and highly useful missionary whose name with
that of his worthy companion I love to cherish, but whose death I am
compeld to record—whose name I know every friend of the red man, as also
every true American, will love to hand down to the coming generation, as
the name of an eminently devoted missionary and warm-hearted friend of
his suffering countrymen, immigrating to this country.
I know that one in high authority in the Catholic church, in a late
publication, by a well meant and well studied silence, would give a very
different character to my departed brother, as also more than intimate
that the first Christian effort is yet to be made to civilize and
Christianize the Cayuse and Nez Perce Indians. The design of the
reverend gentleman in hanging out his colors so soon, was doubtless,
that his people might know where he stood. I am greatly mistaken if
there are not others who will read a lesson upon those colors. But we
must expect such things from such hands,—hands which are uplifted not
against the Protestant religion only, but against our dearest, noblest,
immortal American temple, as can be shown from their attempting to
annihilate the civil institution of marriage.
But there is no blame to be attachd to any for neglecting to arm
ourselves. The doctor had not a load of ammunition in his house,—the
immigrants living at the station had ammunition, and I think the
doctor’s boys had a few loads. Suppose the doctor had made an attempt to
arm and defend himself,—the attempt would have been known and rousd the
Indians. Besides, Jo Lewis was in the doctor’s family, and apparently
his best friend. He would have been among the first armd for defense—and
what a defense it would have been!
The doctor requested me to accompany him to the Utilla. Leaving dear
sister Whitman for the last time in this world, greatly exhausted by her
long and incessant watchings and labors with the sick, with three of her
children and one of Mr. Osborn’s yet dangerously ill, to require her
constant attention, Mrs. Osborn not yet able to leave her bed, and
leaving my daughter—oh horrible!—to fall a captive into the hands of
murderers, the doctor and myself started about sun-down.