Page:The Whitman Controversy.pdf/63

 at that time, of having commented on his recollection of the doctor. Then, if the missionary whom Mr. Ramsey saw in Washington in the spring of 1843, and who was afterwards murdered at the massacre, was not Dr. Whitman, who was he? Let Mr. Evans stand up and tell us what other Oregon missionary was murdered about that time. Will he still tell us that the missionary whom Mr. Ramsey met in Washington in the spring of 1843, and who was afterwards murdered, was Rev. Jason Lee, because, as Mr. Evans tells us, Mr. Lee was in Washington a year after that time? After Mr. Evans shall have selected his victim, then let him contribute to history the name and time of murder of the missionary that he will have in Dr. Whitman's stead. Perhaps he will prefer to ignore the fact that the person whom Mr. Ramsey saw was afterwards murdered. Then I would suggest that he and Mrs. Victor compromise—drop both Lee and White, and settle on Colonel Joe Meek, who was in Washington only a few years afterwards, as his buckskins "tallied."

Thus far I have been reviewing the testimony introduced by Mr. Evans, and if he does not prove just the opposite to what he would have it do, then my scales for weighing testimony are out of order. But there is another letter from Mr. Ramsey, which Mr. Evans has not seen fit to print with the others. He was familiar with the contents, too, for this was the letter that opened the correspondence between Mr. Evans and Mr. Ramsey, and brought out the letters which Mr. Evans has published. This letter explains away Mr. Evans' intimation that Mr. Ramsey could not have seen Dr. Whitman in the spring of 1843, because, as Mr. Evans says, Mr. Ramsey did not take his seat in congress until December, 1843. Mr. Ramsey admits this in the letter, and goes °n and explains how he happened to be in Washington in the Winter of 1842-43, by saying: "I visited Washington and called upon Mr. Joshua Giddings, * * * When so visiting, Mr. Giddings introduced me to Dr. Whitman, who talked to me and others of the difficulties of his journey, of the character of the county, Indian affairs, British encroachments, etc." So we see that Mr. Ramsey does not claim that he was a member of congress at the time he saw Dr. Whitman—he was only a visitor. The missionary talked about the difficulties of his journey; what other Oregon missionary went east about that time who encountered any particular difficulties? I have learned to believe that Rev. Jason Lee went east not long after Dr. Whitman went, but Mr. Lee went by water, and I never heard that he had any difficulty in