Dr. John McLoughlin, the Father of OregonHolman, Frederick V.
History
Dr. John McLoughlin, the Father of Oregon
Holman, Frederick V.
McLoughlin, John, 1784-1857; Oregon Territory -- History
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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