Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/399

Rh With whatever disfavor some of us may remember this class of literature, there can be no doubt that it was the primer to the very general literary taste of American children. Kelley was also a scientist of no mean acquirments, particularly in the direction of mathematics and engineering, submitting a system of geographical surveying for the approval of the government in 1829. With all this intellectual activity in other directions, the Boston schoolteacher gave his most serious thought from 1824 to 1828 to a scheme for settling the American claim to Oregon, by colonization. For his information, other than politcalpolitical [sic], he depended upon fur traders and navigators.

Having, as he believed, educated congress and the American people up to an understanding of the value of the country, and the validity of the United States' claim, he was prepared to organize for action. From the similarity between some of the views put forth in his writings and the form of the first Oregon bills brought before congress by Floyd, of Virginia, in 1820, and later, it might be safely inferred that Kelley had been consulted. But although he petitioned congress, and interviewed cabinet members, he failed to obtain the co-operation and the means necessary to so stupendous an enterprise as the founding of a Pacific empire.

The first expedition taking form under his leadership was in 1828, and consisted of several hundred persons. They were to proceed by land, via Saint Louis, depending upon the pilotage of the fur companies. But if there was anything the fur traders were prepared to oppose, it was the irruption into the Indian country of bodies of men who were sure to disturb their trade relations with the natives. Therefore, they offered no encouragemntencouragement [sic] to Kelley's enterprise. On the part of the press of the Eastern States, there was actual doubt and criticism. In short, this attempt ended in failure; but Kelley's faith in