Page:The Early Indian Wars of Oregon.djvu/154

136 ional government with the difficult duty of obtaining the means necessary to arm, equip, and support in the field a force sufficient to obtain full satisfaction of the Cay use Indians for the late massacre at Waiilatpu, and protect the white population of our common country from further aggression.

In furtherance of this object, they have deemed it their duty to make immediate application to the honorable Hudson's Bay Company for the requisite assistance.

Tho clothed with power to pledge to the fullest extent the faith and means of the present government of Oregon, they do not consider this pledge the only security to those who, in this distressing emergency, may extend to the people of this country the means of protection and redress. Without claiming any special authority from the government of the United States to contract a debt to be liquidated by that power, yet from all precedents of like character in the history our country, the undersigned feel confident that the United States government will regard the murder of the late Dr. Whitman and his lady as a national wrong, and will fully justify the people of Oregon in taking active measures to obtain redress for that outrage, and for their protection from further aggression.

The right of self-defense is tacitly accorded to every body politic in the confederacy to which we claim to belong, and in every case similar to our own, within our knowledge, the general government has promptly assumed the payment of all liabilities growing out of the measures, taken by the constitutional authorities, to protect the lives and property of those residing within the limits of their districts.

If the citizens of the states and territories east of the Rocky mountains are justified in promptly acting in such emergencies, who are under the immediate protection of the general government, there appears no room to doubt that the lawful acts of the Oregon government will receive like approval.

Should the temporary character of our government be considered by you sufficient ground to doubt its ability to redeem its pledge, and reasons growing out of its peculiar organization be deemed sufficient to prevent the recognition of its acts by the government of the United States, we feel it our duty, as private individuals, to inquire to what extent, and on what terms, advances may be had of the honorable Hudson's Bay Company to meet the wants of the force the authorities of Oregon deem it their duty to send into the field.

With sentiments of the highest respect, allow us to subscribe ourselves, your most obedient servants,

( Signed ). JESSE APPLEGATE,

A. L. LOVEJOY, GEO. L. Curry.