it asked, "or believe that the United States government could have made its appearance in such a shape?" At a time, too, when the Indians were becoming alarmingly insolent, requiring the utmost wisdom to deal with or restrain them.[1] In what way had the people of Oregon displeased the president that he should afflict them thus?
The people of Oregon found it indeed difficult to perceive any benefit that they had received from congress, or the presidential appointments. They were still without a proper government; they had no troops, no shipping, no light-houses, no pilot-boats, no appropriations—nothing,[2] if they excepted two post-routes to places where there were no settlers, and two post-offices—the distributing office being at the mouth of the Columbia, a hundred and twenty miles from Oregon City, with no other conveyance for the mails between the two places than Indian canoes. To add to their indignation, a leading eastern paper congratulated its readers that nothing had been done for Oregon, because it was a saving of expense at a time when the government was overburdened by the Mexican war,[3] and regretted that congress had not establised a port of entry at the mouth of the Columbia, and appointed a collector to increase the revenue from the imports of the British fur company, adding insult to injury by complimenting the inhabitants of the territory on their good sense, good order, and good laws.
- ↑ A writer in the Spectator, Sept. 2, 1847, says that Pickett was not in Oregon, but was absent at the Islands; and alleges that he had advised emigrants on the road to California to 'kill all the Indians you may find from Oregon to California.' What Pickett did say was: 'Treat the Indians kindly along the road, but trust them not. After you get to the Siskiyou Mountains, use your pleasure in spilling blood, but were I travelling with you, from this on to the first sight of the Sacramento Valley my only communication with these treacherous, cowardly, untamable rascals would be through my rifle. The character of their country precludes the idea of making peace with them, or ever maintaining treaties if made; so that philanthropy must be set aside in cases of necessity, while self-preservation here dictates these savages being killed off as soon as possible.' Spectator, April 29, 1847.
- ↑ The citizens of Clatsop County, becoming impatient, in November started a subscription for a temporary light-house to be erected on Cape reappointment; but it was never established.
- ↑ New York Tribune, Aug. 26, 1846.
