Page:Letters to Mrs. F. F. Victor, 1878-83.djvu/14

 here en passant—"here stands a man gentleman who has been outrageously robbed, & the records of your court will show it" but what can I say & I only mention it to show you that in my belief gross injustice is often done the poor indian—as it was to me having surrendered my birthright, I could get no protection & the Company in their reports were careful to note in connection with this matter that Roberts was an American. Many a man by a little firmness tact and gentlemanly instincts will rule successfully where others would require an army to back them. Now all this may be offensive to you from me. I remember riding with Judge Strong from Olympia to my house (Cowlitz farm) in 'Sq. I had a vial of some HBCo liquid, & the Judge had one too, because we were coming together he said. I had just seen an article in the Westminster Review—The "Manifest Destiny of the United States," & commenced about it.—Judge the whole thing is rotten! look at this English paper & turn to these American sheets—its like going out of the parlor into the kitchen—now in all honesty this was from my stand point. I could only elicit from him "Oh these people know nothing of our country"—a year or two ago I recalled this to his memory—he said I saw it all then as plainly as I do now, but couldn't acknowledge it to you. It may be that I am partly right as to political Judges & Indian Agents. Genl. Wool knew the difference between a cultivated military officer under control and a mere mobocrat. I remember the remark of an American Naval Officer [Neil M. Howison?] to me in '46. Well he said pointing to a group of frontiermen—they may be Americans but they are as much of a curiosity to us as they are to you....

Among the earliest notabilities in my time was David Douglas a fair, florid, partially bald-headed Scotsman of medium stature, gentlemanly address, about 45 [35] years of age—this was his second visit to the country. On a prior visit he had been all thro upper California by permit of the Mexican Govt—he was only bound by them to refrain from sketching & their military defences or perhaps was not to make fun of their helplessness. He was sent by the Royal horticultural Society, & on this return was aided with instru-