Page:The American Catholic Historical Researches, vol. 18.djvu/60

59 just that we are doing nothing while worldly men and papists are doing so much. Dr. Smedt's business in Europe can be seen, 1 think, at the top of the 23d page of his 'Indian Sketches.' You will see by his book I think that the papal effort is designed to convey over the country to the English."

On November 1st he wrote from Walla Walla: "We very much need good men to locate themselves, two, three or four in a place and secure a good influence for the Indians and form a nucleus for religious institutions and keep back Romanism. This country must be occupied by American or foreigners; if it is by the latter, they will be mostly papists.

Bourne concludes:

"That the generally accepted story of Marcus Whitman is entirely unhistorical has been demonstrated. That this fictitious narrative should have been widely diffused and accepted * * is surprising. That this should have taken place since the publication of Bancroft's 'History of Oregon' in 1885 * * * is almost incredible.

"The results of this investigation will come to many as a shock.

"The sturdy manliness and Christian devotion of Marcus Whitman, the increasing labors of his life and his death in the service of the Christian missions in Oregon, fully deserve every honorable memorial. The perversion of history cannot honor such a man."

The investigation therefore sustains the declarations of Mr. Beadle in.

Prof. Bourne says: "My eyes were first opened to the intricacies and curious origin of the legend by a very careful investigation conducted under my supervision by one of my students, Mr. Arthur Howard Hutchinson.

"His study of the question convinced him that there was a larger amount of collusion, and purpose in developing and disseminating the story than I have thought it best to try and prove in this article."

Of O. W. Nixon's "How Whitman Saved Oregon," he says, "the author is either ignorant of or suppresses essential facts."

Dye's "McLoughlin and Old Oregon," is hardly more than an historical romance.