Page:History vs. the Whitman saved Oregon story.djvu/70

64 Linn was Chairman, June 6, 1838, also in Cushing's report to the H. of R. January 4, and his supplemental report February 16, 1839, also in the report of the Mil. Com. of the H. of R., commonly known as Pendleton's first report May 27, 1842, also in the second report of that Mil. Com., commonly known as Pendleton's 2nd report January 4, 1843. AH these reports were unanimous on the part of the committee, and all were unanimously adopted by the body to which they were made, and of them "in addition to the usual number" 10,000 copies of Cushing's, and 5,000 of each of Pendleton's were printed for distribution, so that including "the usual number" of each, there were 26,000 or more copies of this official "Ultimatum Map" printed by direct votes of the Senate and the House between June 6, 1838, and January 4, 1843. How was it possible for our government more emphatically to notify all the world of its inflexible determination to insist on 49 degrees to the coast as the northern boundary of Oregon? Neither M. Eells nor any other advocate of the Saving Oregon theory of Whitman's ride has ever even alluded to these "ultimatum" instructions to Gallatin, nor to this "Ultimatum Map."

We have already learned (pp. 29-32 ante) of the extent and thoroughness of Lieut. Chas. Wilkes' exploration of the Oregon territory, by land and water, "with a sloop of war, a brig of war, two launches, ten boats and upwards of 300 men" from April 28 to October 10, 1841, and of his very enthusiastic "Special Rept." on the Oregon territory, filed in the Navy Department, at Washington, June 13, 1842, and of the ingenious way in which Dr. Mowry, by cribbing a page of my inferences as to why the Administration in 1843 was not willing to have the whole of that "Special Rept." printed, but without quoting a word from that report, or giving his readers any information as to when it was filed in the Navy Department, or anything else which would inform them as to its immense significance in promoting migration to Oregon, and furnishing the government full and fresh information in everything of the least importance relating to Oregon affairs fully nine months before Whitman could have reached Washington, has avoided giving his readers any knowledge which would enable them to judge of the extent, the value and the timeliness of Wilkes' work in exploring and reporting on Oregon.

Skilful as Dr. Mowry has proved himself in concealing the truth about this important matter, he is thrown completely in the shade by the "candid and truth-seeking" Dr. Eells, who, from title page to finis of his reply (as well as in his pamphlet