A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic InformationGray, W. H. (William Henry)
History
A History of Oregon, 1792-1849: Drawn From Personal Observation and Authentic Information
Gray, W. H. (William Henry)
Frontier and pioneer life -- Oregon; Oregon Territory -- History
Rev. A. B. Smith, a man whose prejudices were so strong that he could
not be reasonable with himself. He attempted to make himself useful as a
missionary, but failed for want of Christian forbearance and confidence
in his associates. As to literary ability, he was superior to his
associates, and probably excited their jealousy; so much so, that his
connection in the mission became unpleasant, and he found an excuse to
leave the country in 1841; not, however, till he and Mr. Rogers had,
with the assistance of the Lawyer, completed a vocabulary and a grammar
of the Nez Percé language, which was the cause of Ellis's jealousy of
the Lawyer and Mr. Smith, and also of an extra effort through the
Jesuits and the company to get rid of him.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Arrival of Jesuit missionaries.--Toupin's statement about Rev. A.
B. Smith.--Death of Mrs. Jason Lee.--First express.--Jesuits at
work.--The first printing-press.--The Catholic tree.
A short time after the arrival of the re-enforcement to the mission of
the American Board, Rev. F. N. Blanchet and Rev. Demerse arrived at
Wallawalla by the annual overland boats of the Hudson's Bay Company.
While at Wallawalla, they induced a Cayuse, Young Chief, to have one of
his children baptized, Mr. Pambrun being sponsor, or godfather. This was
the first Indian child ever baptized in the country. It caused
considerable excitement among the Indians, as also a discussion as to
who was teaching the true religion. The interpreters of Wallawalla being
of the Catholic faith, made free to inform the Indians that theirs was
the true religion. The Indians soon came to the station of Dr. Whitman
and informed him of what had been done, and that they had been told by
the priest that his was the true religion; that what he and Mr. Spalding
had been teaching them for two years past was all false, and that it was
not right for the Indians to listen to the Doctor and Mr. Spalding. The
instructions given, and the baptizing of the Indian child, were,
unquestionably, designed to create a diversion in the minds of the
Indians, and ultimately bring about the abandonment or destruction of
the mission. I have never been able to learn, from any source, that any
other Indian child was baptized by these priests on that trip from
Canada to Vancouver. In fact, I see from their published works that they
claim this as their first station or place of instruction.
The Rev. Mr. Blanchet was a black-haired, brown-eyed, smooth-faced,
medium-sized Frenchman.
The Rev. Mr. Demerse had dark-brown hair, full, round eye, fair
complexion, rather full habit, something of the bull-neck, inclining to
corpulency. He was fond of good cheer and good living; of the Jesuit
order of the Roman church; he seemed to have no scruples of conscience;
so long as he could secure subjects for "_mother church_," it mattered
not as to intelligence or character.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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