Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 18.djvu/198



170 Fred Wilbur Powell

ing that it was due to Kelley that he had settled in that ter- ritory.

While in WashingtcHi in 1838 Kelley examined the manu- script of Slacum's report, which was on file in the department of state. There he found Young's statement, which had been omitted from the printed copy. "The paper marked E in the report is that identical statement ; and it was evidently, at first, intended to be printed, with the matters included in the report : but it was not printed, nor to be seen by members of Congress ; nor was any allusion made to the petitioner [Kelley], or to any of his meritorious acts in Oregon." The facts in the case can- not be determined, and the report in question cannot now be found in the archives. It does not appear, however, how Greenhow could have had anything to do with the papers which Slacum chose to append to his memorial.

Kelley took advantage of his opportunity to copy Young's statement, in which he acknowledged his indebtedness to Kelley, but referred to him in terms which indicated that he had "mistaken views" about Kelley and "unfriendly feelings" toward him. "There never was, I affirm it, the least personal misunderstanding between me and Capt. Yoiuig," Kelley de- clared. "His inimical feelings were wholly owing to the lying spirit going out from Fort Vancouver, and going about to deceive those who were most likely to be friends and to stand by me."^

As has been said in the preceding chapter Kelley left the Northwest Coast with the idea of returning to establish a settlement at New Dungeness on the strait of Juan de Fuca, west of Port Discovery, but he was unable to arouse interest in the project. Of this movement he said:

"Soon after my return to New England, I announced to the public through the medium of the newspapers, my purpose and programme; and many enterprising and intelligent men of New England, some with families, a sufficient number for a settlement, enlisted for the expedition. But the war of perse-

7 StttUmtnt of Oregon, 55-8, 80; Narrative of Events and DifficuUies, 6»-B.