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
Dr. Bailey _did not wish any protection from the Congress of the United
States_.
Rev. H. K. W. Perkins was _ashamed_ of the petition. "What does Congress
care about measuring wheat? or a contest between two milling companies?"
George Gay did not care any thing about it. Congress might do as it
pleased; he did not want its protection.
The people in Tualatin Plains did not have an opportunity to sign or
refuse for want of time to circulate it in that section. The bearer of
it, William C. Sutton, was on his way to the States across the Rocky
Mountains. Through the influence of Dr. White, who had clandestinely
procured a copy of the petition and the names attached, and had made an
effort to prevent its reaching Mr. Sutton, it had been delayed, but
through the perseverance and promptness of Robert Shortess and A. E.
Wilson, it was sent by Davis and Johnson and some Indians in an express
canoe, and reached Mr. Sutton before he left the Cascades. For this
service to his country and the persevering efforts of Mr. Shortess to
maintain the rights of American citizens in it, he was early placed
under the ban of the Hudson's Bay Company, and, it may be added, the
Methodist Mission; and reports prejudicial to him have been freely and
persistently kept before the public mind, as also against any others
that have taken an active part against the infamous and despotic course
of that company. This is to weaken their testimony, and to render them
powerless to prevent the present proposed robbing of our national
treasury. Instead of paying one dime to that company for doing all they
dared to do to prevent the settlement of Oregon by Americans, a pension
should be paid to Robert Shortess and many others who dared to maintain
the rights of the American people to this western coast. Whitman periled
every thing and lost his life to save the country. Shortess has periled
all, and worn himself out in struggling under an influence that took the
life of Dr. Whitman and many others, for which this Hudson's Bay Company
are now to receive pay.
It is unnecessary for me to make a single remark in reference to this
petition. It is a history in itself of the times and events then
occurring. Mr. Hines refers to it as of little moment, and on page 150
says: "Not being one of the authors, but merely a signer of the
petition, I did not come under the ban of the company; consequently, I
obtained my outfit for the expedition, though at first there were strong
indications that I would be refused."
We would infer from this, that the Hudson's Bay Company did not regard
it as a serious matter, but in the next line he tells us: "We remained
at the fort over night and a part of the next day, and, after a _close
conversation with the gentlemen in command_, were treated with great
courtesy."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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