he had intended to and had averted evil from the company by using courtesy and kindness toward the American immigrants.
As to joining the organization, he showed that in 1843 he had written to England of the threats against Vancouver, and asked for protection, but had not received it, while the dogs of war were snarling and threatening, and the Americans outnumbered the British subjects ten to one in the settled portions of Oregon; and failing in this, had done the best thing he knew how to do for the company and humanity. He admitted that the lands of British subjects had been invaded, but proportionally in a less degree than those of the colonists by each other.[1] "And, after all," he says, "I have found British subjects just as keen at catching at an opportunity to benefit themselves, and that in instances to my cost, as these American backwoodsmen."[2]
To the accusation that the company had submitted to insult from the Americans, he replied: "They were not to consider themselves insulted because an ignorant man thought he had a better right to a piece of land than they had, and attempted to establish his right in the only way the law admitted." And to the taunt that having brought this state of affairs on himself, he then wanted protection, he answered that protection had been asked for British property, but more particularly for British rights, from the aggressions of a people who had been publicly encouraged by the promises of congress of donations of land—a circumstance which the British government had taken
- ↑ Four cases are mentioned; the claim of McTavish, the intruder, being put off by the organization; the claim of his son, his own, and the company's lands at Vancouver.
- ↑ Reference is here made to the fact that some of the company s servants were allowed to made claims on the land about Vancouver under the lana law, to keep off Americans, with the understanding that they held or the company, but who refused afterward to relinquish their possession. Roberts' Recollections, MS., 61.
remained or lived. When it was known at Vancouver that immigrants were coming across the plains, orders were sent along the line to Walla Walla, Boisé, and Fort Hall, not to let the poor people suffer, but to help them along, and teach the Indians to do so also.
