Page:The Whitman Controversy.pdf/53

  Herald of September, 1842, beginning thus—" It was thought advisable that Dr. Whitman should personally communicate," etc., as I have given above. He begins a quotation in the middle of the sentence and leaves out the first part, which says the meeting was held, which he tries to prove was not held. On noticing this I have wondered whether he was seeking for veritable history or whether he was still the paid attorney of the Hudson's Bay Company in regard to their Vancouver claim, or some other company.

I acknowledge there is a slight discrepancy between that quotation and Dr. Eells' statement, who says that the meeting was held in September, a discrepancy of five days, not very strange in an editorial written in Boston. The fact is, Dr. Eells is right, for the journal of Rev. E. Walker, deceased, for September 20, 1843, Tuesday, says: "Just as we were about to sit down to breakfast the long looked for express came in with some letters from the Doctor and Mr. Greene [Sec'y at Boston of the Mission Board]. The Doctor requested us to come down immediately." On Wednesday, the 2 1st, they started. On Sunday they were at the Touchet, and on Monday they reached Dr. Whitman's, and that evening, the next day and Wednesday morning the discussions were held according to this journal. So in these instances cotemporary evidence shows that Dr. Eells' memory is of more value than Governor Evans' reasoning. It has always seemed to me strange that persons who were not in the country knew much better what was done eight years before than those who did the things.

Third—Again I quote: "No living person in Oregon or Washington prior to July 4, 1865, ever heard national motive or political influence attributed to the winter journey of Dr. Whitman in 1842-43."

As Governor Evans has been so particular as to day and month, I must say he is mistaken. If he had only said that he had never heard it, I should make no criticism. In my pamphlet on the subject (page 21), are these words—" Dr. Geiger's statement gives one reason why it was not immediately published—because it would arouse the enmity of the Hudson's Bay Company. Mrs Walker gives another—for fear it would bring disgrace on the mission. Still it was given earlier than Mrs. Victor is willing to allow. The writer can remember of hearing of it between 1857 and 1862. Mr. Spalding published it in the Pacific (of San Francisco) in 1864. Rev. C. Eells published it in the Missionary Herald in December, 1866, and Mr. Treat, one of the secretaries of the A. B. C. F. M.,