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
It will be borne in mind that while Dr. Whitman was on his way to
Washington, Dr. White and Thomas McKay visited the Indians in the
interior, in October, 1842,--about one month after Dr. Whitman had left
for the States. Mr. Spalding was really more stupid than Mr. Hines in
all matters of policy and deep-laid plans to accomplish any object. His
courage was strong in ignorance of danger. Mr. Hines had personal
courage, but his self-esteem was unbounded. Dr. White was shrewd enough
to make use of both. Mr. Spalding was taken with Dr. White's smooth
milk-and-water false statements about his office, powers, and duties. He
was led to believe that White had all the powers he professed to have,
and lent his influence to McKay to organize and combine the Indian
tribes, supposing all the while he was doing it for Dr. White and the
American cause.
Messrs. Hines and Spalding were alike in this particular. The reader
will not forget that I am speaking of men and their actions, and the
influence they had at a certain time, and the effect of those actions
upon the Indians and the religious, political, and general interests of
the country. Personally, I have no malice against a single man of whom I
write; many of them I know are dead, and at the proper time I will give
you as faithful an account of their good deeds as I now do of their
errors. Besides, I hope the children and friends of all of whom I write,
will see and feel the virtue there is in doing right at all times, and,
as we are told, "try the spirits," or persons, "to know whether they are
good or evil."
A large portion of the ninth chapter of Mr. Hines' book is too important
in illustrating truth to be omitted in a history such as we are giving.
The reader will understand the observations we have to make, bearing in
mind that all these facts have an important bearing on a transaction
that occurred four years later. He says:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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