METHODIST REPORTS WILLAMETTE MISSION 349
to their proper calling. By such a course they are san- guine in the hope that the greatest hindrance to minis- terial influence and success will be removed out of the way. But it should be kept in mind that however bur- dened and clogged in its operations the mission may have been, on account of its connection with worldlly concerns, and however injurious this state of things may have been to its spiritual advancement, it has, on account of this very connection, conferred great temporal benefits on the territory. Indeed, it is not too much to say that the importance this territory has assumed in the estimation of the American Republic, is attributable more to the influence exerted by our mission than to any other cause. Whether we regard its colonization, civilization or evangelization, the Methodist missionaries have been its most influential and successful pioneers. And though the immigrants, on account of the secular character of the mission, were disposed to look upon them with a suspicious eye, and in some instances to impute to them motives of avarice and ambition, yet, upon the organiza- tion of a territorial government, one of these lay mis- sionaries was elected to the office of Governor, and an- other to that of Judge of the Probate and Circuit Courts. 17 These facts speak volumes and show conclusively that we have not entirely forfeited the public confidence in Oregon ; and when first impressions, founded in suspicion and jealousy, shall be subjected to the tests of candor and truth, the indebtedness of the colony to our mission will, we doubt not, be generally acknowledged. . . .
Among our dispatches from Oregon we have received a most interesting communication from Rev. G. Hines, entitled, "Oregon as it is." The principal topics em- braced in this communication are, the extent of popula- tion in Oregon, the character of the settlers, the political condition of the territory, with the code of laws by which
17 Steward George Abernethy was elected governor in 1845; Dr. Ira L. Babcock had been chosen as supreme judge with probate powers in 1841 at the time of the preliminary organization.
