As the reader will have discovered, we commenced our history with Oregon as it was in 1792. With the single exception of the feeble effort made by Mr. Astor in 1810-11, and Captain Wyeth in 1834-5, no one ever attempted any thing like an organized opposition to the British fur companies on the Pacific coast.

In regard to Captain Wyeth, we admit with Mr. Newell that he was driven from the country “not by fair and open competition in the trade,” and that he is entitled to much credit for his discernment and forethought in leaving when he did, for if he had not accepted the terms offered to him by Dr. McLaughlin, that gentleman said to us that the company would have insisted on other means being used to relieve its trade from his competition, so that whatever credit or honor there is due in the case belongs to Captain Wyeth’s judgment and decision in accepting such compensation as the company chose to give, and not to the company for giving it; for it was that, or a crime to be committed in getting rid of him and his party; and, as in the case of Smith and Dr. Whitman, to be charged upon the Indians.

As Americans, we must not conclude that it could do a dishonorable or mean act to our traders, hunters, missionaries, or even settlers. No one must presume to think that the Honorable Hudson’s Bay Company would ever conduct any but an honorable trade, or engage in any but an honorable business, in the country; notwithstanding, its own countrymen charge it with having seized and sunk vessels belonging to them, by running them ashore in Hudson’s Bay; robbed and fought with the Northwest Company before they combined their interests; and had its own Governor Semple killed in fighting for its interests, besides all its transactions with its own countrymen; this would be ungenerous and mean in the estimation of men unable to distinguish between a selfish and a generous act, or a cause and a crime of civilized and savage men.

Missionary efforts were first made in the country by Rev. Jason Lee. He, being a Canadian-born subject, was received with less objection than Rev. Messrs. Parker and Spalding, and Dr. Whitman; but, as has been shown, the English people expected to hold the country by the power and influence of their Hudson’s Bay Company.

The company, as such, could not act against the American missionaries as it did against American traders and hunters; hence, the Episcopal or Established Church influence from London was made use of, and a clergyman sent to Vancouver. While missionary operations were confined to the Wallamet Valley this was sufficient, but when those efforts were extended to the Cayuses and Nez PercÉs, and efforts were being made to establish missions further north by another responsible religious society, the company became alarmed for its profits by the fur trade; and by one of its own unprincipled, dishonorable, as well as hypocritical arrangements, under the specious pretense of having religious teachers to look after the moral and religious instructions of its Canadian-French Catholic servants, it sent for, and continued in its service, the very religious order of the Roman Church that was at that time proscribed by the laws of the country from which it held its license. This showed the moral principle by which it was governed in relation to its own country. The interests of its trade were paramount to all moral principles or religious teachings; and while it was professing warm friendship for one religious sect, it was encouraging secretly and openly an opposite and strongly bigoted one, to divide and distract the moral and religious sentiments of the ignorant natives; claiming for itself an exclusive monopoly in trade, as being beneficial to the Indian race, which was admitted by all. This was the moral and religious condition of the whole country when the American settlers came to it. They, with the American missionaries, combined in forming a provisional government, and established a quasi independent American republic, with the condition that, whenever the United States government saw fit to extend its jurisdiction over the country, this temporary government should cease.

The English and French united with us in this organization, on condition that they should not be required to do any thing that would conflict with their duties as subjects of Great Britain.

The reader will perceive that, in carrying out the plan laid down in our preface, we have been obliged to give the Hudson’s Bay Company a prominent place in our history, as we have had to meet them in every step of our progress.

No history of Oregon can be written, without acknowledging the immense influence that company held in the country, and the zeal and energy it put forth, in counteracting American ideas and influence. It was its original design to colonize and secure to the British crown all the countries which it might explore and occupy. And had it carried out that design, no American effort could have succeeded in securing the country to the government of the United States. But from a selfish, short-sighted, and mistaken policy; and a blind perception of its asserted commercial rights, privileges, and powers, it “hunted up” the country, and expected to secure to itself undisturbed possession of the northwestern part of the continent.

For this purpose, while it was destroying the valuable fur animals in what is now United States territory, it was protecting such as were to be found further north; and by this means continued the enormous profits of its trade, for a series of years longer than it otherwise could have done. The discovery of gold on the Frazer River in 1858, the rush of miners, and the organizing of British Columbia, partially checked this fur company, and led to the formation of a sickly colony strangled in the embrace of an avaricious monopoly. To counteract the American and Protestant missionary efforts, it brought to Oregon the Roman and French Jesuits. To compete with the Americans in stock and agricultural products, it originated the Puget Sound Company. To outnumber the American settlers, it brought on a colony of half-breeds from Red River.

While by the influence of its Jesuits it could destroy one branch of the Protestant missions, and bring on an Indian war, the settlement had gained strength sufficient to maintain independence without its aid.

While the country has increased in population and wealth, this English monopoly has been decreasing in power and influence.

While the Protestant religion has continued to widen and deepen its hold upon the American people, the Papal superstition has increased among the Indians, thus rendering them more hopelessly depraved, and consigning them and their descendants to unending superstition and ignorance, or to utter oblivion as a race, to be superseded by an enlightened Christian, American people.

With unfeigned thanks to all who have assisted us in this work, we take our leave, hoping the facts we have given will be useful, and abundantly reward the reader for his time and money.

TRANSCRIBER NOTES:

Punctuation has been corrected without note.

Footnotes have been moved closer to their reference point."Corrections" noted at the beginning of the book may have been incorporated in a previous edition. None of these have been changed for this project.

"Hudson Bay Company" changed to "Hudson's Bay Company" without note for consistency.

Page 63: "Kingdon" changed to "Kingdom" (from the United Kingdom).

Page 67: duplicate word "to" removed (who went to London).

Page 75: "monoply" changed to "monopoly" (a commercial monopoly) and (to the fur monopoly).

Page 86: the table regarding propery values has several either typos and/or incorrect calculations based on the text preceding. Corrections of typos have been made to match the preceeding text, however, the total dollar amount stated in the next paragraph is incorrect and has not been changed.

Page 128: "supppose" changed to "suppose" (I suppose by this expression).

Page 177: "bring" changed to "bringing" (bringing with them to Fort Hall).

Page 210: "foregn" changed to "foreign" (generous to a foreign monoploy).

Page 221: "sufficent" changed to "sufficient" (a sufficient number to command).

Page 246: "sufferered" changed to "suffered" (suffered for willful murder).

Page 249: duplicate "of" removed (repetition of the threats made).

Page 294: "peace'" changed to "peace's" (for some peace's sake).

Page 315: "souyht" changed to "sought" (prize they sought).

Page 332: "scull" changed to "skull" (but none in the skull).

Page 359: "how" changed to "now" (Any person now holding).

Page 374: duplicate "their" removed (starvation was their only portion).

Page 376: "peculiary" changed to "peculiarly" (so peculiarly republican and in accordance with).

Page 449: duplicate "only" removed (not only by giving in).

Page 487: "surpise" changed to "surprise" (Here, to our surprise and terror).

Page 495: "though" changed to "through" (and through the French half-breed).

Page 504: "victms" changed to "victims" (sustaining them among their deluded victims).

Page 507: duplicate "that" removed (said that they had forgotten all this).

Page 514: "Witman's" changed to "Whitman's" (slept in Dr. Whitman's room).

Page 582: "againt" changed to "against" (that assassin struck not against).

The original book included a list of errata which has been applied to the text. The original list of errata is below.

ERRATA. (From original text)

Page 526, 11th line from top, for "becamed," read "became."

Page 568, 6th line from bottom, for "Moxon," read "Maxon." Also on pages 570 and 573 the same error occurs.

Page 583, 19th line from top, for "that British," read "that the British."

Page 592, 7th line from bottom, for "propriety," read "propensity."

Page 602, 7th line from top, for "where," read "when."

Page 613, 4th line from bottom, for "ten," read "one hundred."