William Isaac Marshall

“ Mowry nor any other advocate of the Whitman Saved Oregon story has ever quoted one sentence of any of the scores of pages of the contemporaneous correspondence and diaries of the mission, which establish beyond dispute that it was in a state of decadence really as early as 1839-40, and steadily suid rapidly went down from that time onward, so that if there had been no Whitman massacre the mission in all probability would soon have been abandoned, as the Methodist Mission to the Oregon. Indians had already been. ”

“ I have for the first time given the public a chance to read exactly what claim Whitman did make in that letter. In my forthcoming book is a chapter on "What Dr. Whitman himself claimed about his services to the Government," in which every sentence in which he makes any claim is quoted exactly as it was written, and compared with the unquestionable facts, so that the public can judge for itself as to what value to attach to his own claims, as well as to the claims made for him by Gray, Spalding, C. Eells, M. Eells, Barrows, Nixon, Craighead, Mowry, et al. ”

“ M. Eells' "Reply to Professor Bourne's 'The Legend of Marcus Whitman'" is very difficult, because Mr. Eells' methods are so unlike those of careful historians that one accustomed to reading books whose authors summarize fairly, and quote honestly and accurately the authorities to which they refer, and never suppress all mention of authorities which they cannot twist to support their own preconceived theories, is continually bewildered in reading this "Reply," and in doubt whether what he encounters on almost every page is evidence of incapacity or dishonesty. ”

“ The internal evidence that Webster never wrote this is irresistible, for, whatever were Webster's failings, he always uttered sensible and dignified English in discussing important public affairs, and the final sentence of this extract as quoted by Gunsaulus in his Introduction to Nixon's "How Marcus Whitman Saved Oregon," is, "Mr. President, I will never vote one cent from the public treasury to place the Pacific Coast one inch nearer to Boston than it is now." ”

“ C. Eells, he could have freest access to all the correspondence of Whitman and all his associates with the American Board of Commissioners of Foreign Missions, and also more easily than any one else could get access to their correspondence with relations and friends, and their journals. He makes great claims to fairness and moderation and candor and desire to have the truth appear, declaring (p. 37) , "The writer has no objection to scientific history as above defined, namely, the facts written at or near the time they occurred. ”

“ Mowry has written all the rest of the book on the same lines as the parts herein criticized, after this examination of his treatment of every important original source, it seems unnecessary to further notice his treatment of minor "original sources" or his numerous errors in other matters.
Dr. Mowry asserts that his "Marcus Whitman" is a "history," and that "from first to last it deals with facts," and very positively denies that it is "an embellished story." ”

“ These manuscripts have been read by some three-score historians and historical students, including Professors of History in Universities and Colleges, Teachers of History in Normal, and High, and Elementary Schools, Judges, Clergymen, Editors and Librarians, and except W. A. Mowry, every person—man or woman—who has read even one-quarter part of them has been convinced that they completely overthrow each and every form of the Whitman Saved Oregon story ”

“ Compelled to work steadily at my profession as a teacher to support my family, and caught and nearly ruined in the panic of 1893, I have not yet found myself able to publish the indisputable evidence which I have been so long and carefully collecting. ”

“ Scientific history is history honestly, carefully and accurately written by candid and competent persons, from the very best authorities obtainable, which means, always from the original sources when they exist and are accessible, . As the official record of that meeting, stating. that it was called to order September 26, and closed September 27, 1842, was in the office of the Secretary of the American Board, it was not "scientific" for him, instead of referring to it and giving the correct date, to write "last October." ”

“ What I had claimed was, that "That diary must contain a good deal of matter that would be very important in the discussion of the Whitman question." Our candid author seeks first to hedge by claiming that "it does not cover the time under discussion (that is September, 1842, to October, 1843) , as if it would be possible to properly discuss the Whitman question without covering the whole time that the Whitman-Spalding Mission existed, i. e., 1836 to 1848, but he is careful not to quote another word out of the something more than 25,000 in the diary, except the sixty-one before mentioned. ”

“ But he was too thoroughly honest a man to make any statement they could use, and his diary and his letters are among the strongest documents, that in the opinion of all real historians who have read them, totally disprove the Saving Oregon theory of Whitman's ride. ”

“ Dr. Mowry, by not only not even mentioning it, but by substituting for it Rev. C. Eells' entirely different and totally contradictory account, totally repudiates Gray's and Spalding's account of the origin of that ride, which was the only thing about it that was a matter within their own personal experience, and concerning which, therefore, their recollections, if correct, might have had some evidential value, but he quotes extensively and endorses as correct the "recollections" of Spalding and Gray as to what took place between Whitman and Tyler and Webster. ”

“ Is there anything in this lower world that would tempt you to it? I presume not; at least I can see no earthly inducement sufficiently paramount to cause me voluntarily to take upon myself such a painful trial. ”

“ The Great Falls of the Columbia are not only west of the Blue Mountains, but more than one hundred miles west of where. Whitman six years later established his mission; and this letter of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company was often referred to and quoted in later congressional committee reports and debates, and in books, newspapers and magazine articles before 1843. ”

“ Thomas Laurie's inaccurate quotation, he nowhere quotes what Whitman wrote about any other object in his making the ride except to lead out a migration, and nowhere from beginning to end of his book does he even intimate that the Mission would have been "broken up just then" if Whitman had not made his ride. ”

“ Myron Eells himself was the authority on whom Elwood Evans depended for those dates, for in a "History of the Congregational Association of Oregon and Washington," by Rev. Myron Eells, we read that "The proceedings of the meetings of the Missions were either burnt or destroyed at the Whitman massacre in 1847, or at the time of the fire at Rev. Gushing Eells' in 1872." ”

“ But the truth is that Mr. Koopman does not and never has kept a restaurant there, but a saloon." That is, according to Mr. Eells' ideas of scientific history, every man who dashes off an advertising pamphlet for gratuitous distribution, no matter how careless, or dishonest, or indifferent to truth he may be, is a writer of "scientific history," if, perchance, he has visited the locality of which he writes, and taken some pictures of it!
THE POSITION OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT ON THE OREGON BOUNDARY.
Let us turn now to official documents showing the position of our Government as to Oregon. ”

“ Three indispensable postulates of Dr. Mowry's claim that Whitman "wrested that entire country" (i. e., the old Oregon Territory) "from the Hudson's Bay Company" are:
First. That as late as March, 1843, that "entire country" i. e., the present states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho, together with about 28,000 square miles of Northwestern Montana and about 13,000 square miles of Northwestern Wyoming, in all about 292,000 square miles, or nearly one-twelfth of all our territory on this continent, was in controversy between the United States and Great Britain. ”

“ Born on the extremest frontier in a log cabin, and living nearly all his life on the frontier, (mostly around Indian agencies, which are not generally believed to be places specially stimulating to careful research, accurate statements or candor in discussion) , he has had little opportunity to work" in any library of even moderate size, and, totally lacking scientific training, he seems entirely destitute of any comprehension of the use of scientific methods in historical research, and of what constitutes valid evidence. ”

“ Being a very "shifty" and selfish politician. White became exceedingly unpopular and consequently his work for Oregon has received very scant mention.
There is no doubt but what a very large part—if not all —of the honest advocacy of the Whitman Saved Oregon story has resulted from transferring to Doctor Whitman the claims which Doctor White made, of the influence on Tyler's Oregon policy, of his interviews with President Tyler and Secretary Webster, just before Ashburton's arrival in Washington, though there is not the slightest reason for believing that Doctor White any more than Dr. ”

“ Mr. Eells' statement that this trivial error "was scientific" is nonsense. Scientific history, according to his own inaccurate definition of it (Reply, p. 37) , is "The facts written at or near the time they occurred," and' "last October" was not "a fact," but a blunder of the editor of the Missionary Herald, doubtless due to the fact that both C Eells' letter and E. Walker's letter were dated October 3, 1842. But C. Eells was the "Scribe" of that meeting and his letter begins its official record as follows: "A Special Meeting of the Oregon Mission was called on the 26th of September, 1843." ”

“ Making utmost possible speed, they reached Walla Walla December 19, and Ogden immediately began negotiations for the ransom of the fifty-one captives at Whitman's station, and the nine at Spalding's station, who were virtually captives, since the Nez Ferces would only allow them to leave on payment by Ogden of a ransom, and so vigorously did he prosecute his mission of mercy that January i, 1848, the sixty ransomed ones were at Walla Walla, and the next day they started down the river, and in due time Mr. Ogden delivered them in safety at Oregon City. ”

“ It is now not quite two years since I decided that the most practical and valuable piece of historical work that one of my limited ability could accomplish would be to drive this story from our schoolbooks, and to keep it from gaining admission where not already in, and, as may be seen from the following letters, that task is practically accomplished with the leading ones, as soon as they can be revised, and other authors will within the next six months no doubt follow the example. ”

“ Prior to March, 1843, ^he Oregon Territory had been far more extensively and thoroughly explored and reported on (in government reports, books of travel and magazine articles) by our citizens, both government expeditions and private citizens; more often and more thoroughly debated in Congress; the subject of more numerous and elaborate reports of congressional committees; the object of more and more important diplomatic negotiations, than any other territorial acquisition we have made on this continent had been up to the date of its full accomplishment ”

“ I take him to have someone to stay with Mrs. W.
"I cannot give you much of an account of the emigrants until we get on the road. It is said that there are over 200 men, besides women and children."
The proper place for this was on page 197, after that of May 28, but Dr. Mowry neither prints it there, nor puts a footnote of reference to it, but on pages 262-3 he puts it in the Appendix, where few of his readers will peruse it, and fewer note its significance in relation to the claim that Whitman was prominent in originating, organizing and leading the 1843 migration. ”

“ Henry M. Field the admission that his only authority for it was a newspaper slip, sent him by Mr. Geo. L. Chase, an insurance man of Hartford, Conn., and being assured by Mr. Chase that he clipped it from a newspaper when traveling on the Pacific Coast, and sent it to Dr. Field, not expecting him to publish it, but merely for his opinion as to its correctness, I abandoned all further attempt to find who fabricated it. ”

“ In commenting upon the speech of the Senator from Missouri, (Mr. Benton) , who had preceded him, he took occasion to remove an erroneous impression, which, he conceived, was calculated to do great injustice to a distinguished man, Mr. Webster, who could not there defend himself. He alluded to the fears expressed by the Senator from Missouri, that ... the rumor must be correct which had got abroad, that a proposition had been made or entertained by the Secretary of State, to settle down upon the Columbia River as the boundary line. ”

“ Dr. Mowry's treatment of this letter illustrates his ideas of going to "original sources wherever practicable."
On pp. 198-9 he says: "In another letter" (whose date he does not give) , "to Mr. Greene, is the following: 'It was to open a practical (practicable) route and safe passage, and secure a favorable report of the journey from emigrants, which, in connection with other objects caused me to leave my family and brave the toils and dangers of the journey, notwithstanding the unusual severity of the winter, and the great depth of snow. ”

“ A careful comparison, sentence by sentence, of the Herald letters with the narrative in Wilkes covering the same part of the journey shows that every fact of the slightest importance in the Herald letters is also in the account in Wilkes, while a similar comparison of every statement of any fact of the slightest importance in the rest of the narrative in Wilkes, with contemporaneous letters, and with parts of Fremont's report covering the same facts shows the account in Wilkes to be correct on every point of the slightest consequence. ”

“ Cushing Eells) "in 1865. I endeavored to learn the history of those missionary years; my queries were particularly directed to the two immigrations of 1842-3; he was as reticent as if he knew nothing, surely he breathed not this patriotic claim for the little missionary convocation of 1842. True, that was in April, 1865, and Myron Eells has indicated the 'great work was not known or realized till 1866,' and possibly it was still a secret." (Cf. Art. on "Dr. Whitman and Oregon," by Evans, in Daily Oregonian, March 15, 1885. This article was also reprinted in Weekly Oregonian, March 20, 1885.) ”