Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 7.pdf/277

Rh planes and inspire to nobler thoughts and better deeds.

The young women and young men here present tonight from Chemawa represent the latest and best results of the early work of Jason Lee among their forefathers, who once held dominion over this Northwest land. Your forefathers, clad in scanty garb of skins of wild beasts, listened to his lessons of love and labor preached under the boughs of the primeval forest; while you, my Indian friends, now clothed in all comforts, harken to the same lessons of love and labor from his successors, taught to you under the sheltering domes of modern churches and schools. I doubt not that from his everlasting home beyond the skies that great missionary looks down with satisfaction and blessings upon you and all those who have carried forward the noble work for you and your people which he began so many years ago. I here and now invoke in behalf of this remaining fragment of the original owners of the Oregon Country the sympathy and aid of all who have the love of humanity in their hearts. When our ancestors and predecessors in this fair land were few and theirs were many, the red man was for many years the white man's friend, and now that they are few and we are many, let us remember only the deeds of kindness of their race and aid them to fulfill the purpose for which they are created.

At this time when we do honor to a great pioneer in particular, and by so doing do honor to all pioneers in general, a few lines from the pioneer poet, Joaquin Miller, addressed to the New Oregon, seems to be appropriate: