DEDICATION OF THE MCLAUGHLIN INSTITUTE. 313 and his first communion at Fort Vancouver at midnight mass of Christmas of the same year 1842 and was confirmed after- ward." In his protection of Smith and his companions, and the re- covery and the restoration of the furs; in his welcome to travelers and rival traders ; in his kindness to, and protection of the missionaries; in his rescue of the humble Japanese sailors ; and in his salvation of the early immigrants Dr. Me- Loughlin was actuated as a Christian and by the broad spirit of humanity, and without regard to the race or to the rank or to the station in life of those he helped. It was a high but a well-deserved honor when, in 1846, Pope Gregory XVI made Dr. McLoughlin a Knight of St. Gregory the Great, of civil grade. Yet such was the humility of Dr. McLoughlin, that while he accepted the honor, I do not know of an instance where he used the title or boasted of it. REPUTATION OF DR. M 'LOUGHLIN. Most justly the reputation and fame of Dr. McLoughlin overshadows that of any resident of Oregon during the whole period of his life in Oregon. Many distinguished men, con- temporaries of his, since his death, and, in many instances, years after his death, have spoken publicly of him, and in his honor, of his acts, of his character, of his humanity, and of what he did in the making of Oregon in words of the high- est praise. Equally effective, but more touching to me, have been the tributes of esteem and affection spoken in private conversation, in plain and simple words, but with great feeling and heart-felt emotion, by old Oregon pioneers, some of whom are still living, in extolling his personal qualities and virtues and in bearing witness to his assistance to them and theirs in the perilous and trying days of the forties. The life of Dr. John McLoughlin was not in vain. He set and maintained a high standard of conduct which succeeding generations may well emulate. He had no idea that he was a hero or that he was, or would become, a great historic figure. The simplicity of his life and deeds is one of their charms.
