Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/193

Rh, and this news created much disturbance. In due time the Mexican party arrived and began to unpack. But that evening Captain Whiting and his overseers called on me and asked me to do him a favor. I replied, if it were in my power I would gladly do so. He wished me to call a meeting of the Americans and find out what the Bar said about his company of Mexicans working for him there. He added, "We were very abruptly ordered away from the Bar before we unpacked." He thought the party making this remark did so on his own responsibility, and he wished me to find out the sentiment of the Americans in regard to his party's remaining there. I told him I would do so.

This Captain Whiting was born and raised and educated in Boston, Massachusetts, and went to Mexico when he was about twenty years old and became a Mexican citizen. Case replied, "That is what you ought to have done; no man has a right to live permanently in a country without becoming a citizen of it."

To make myself well heard I climbed upon a high rock where I could be heard a great distance and called out, "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez, all American citizens come forward immediately. Important business to be attended to." I had no sooner called this way than the cry was taken up and carried at least three miles around. The meeting following was held at Squire Finley's store—Finley being from Oregon City. A chairman and secretary were duly elected. The chairman, Squire Finley, called the meeting to order and stated that Mr. Case would explain the object. I did so, which took me probably fifteen minutes. A resolution was then adopted that we indorse Governor Smith's proclamation. (This proclamation was that the coming of foreigners to California for the purpose of working the mines without any intention of becoming American citizens was strictly for-