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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1901)
THE 1IOKNINO OHEGraiAN, FRIBAX MAY 3, 1901. ISTORIGGHAMPOEG (Continued from First Page.) sou City; Mrs. Susan D. Meldrum, Ore gon 3ty. 1S46 Mrs. Lydla. "Wood, Woodburn; Mrs. W. F GHkey. Dayton; R. a MacEwan, Astoria; W- R. Dunbar, Vancouver, Wash,; Marianne Hansaker D'Arcy, Port- . , land"; ..Mrs. Prudence Hol6ton, Portland. ISil-zrY?. 5L Merchant, North. Yamhill; W. T. Legg, Portland: Jl T. Apperson, Oregpn City; Anson Cone, Butteville; W. J. Jones, Newberg; Mrs. B, H. Hopkins, Butteville, G. W. DImmIck, R. V. Short, Portland; David Caufield; Judge Charles B. Bellinger, Portland. 1848-John W- MInto, Portland; J. D. Lee Salem. - . 1S49 Jud,ge R, P. Boise, Salem; H. A. Johnson, Salem. Invocation by Rer. "P S. Knight. The ceremonies opened "with an Invoca tion by Rev. P. S. Knight, of Salem, who said: Almighty Father. "We believe In thee as the " Creator dt all -things, as the provider for all wants, and as the controlling: and directing power in all the affairs of 'men. "We are sure that jur fathers were guided to these shores - -app -in the -creation of the Institutions under 'which we live. "We are sure that their chll- " drea were, by thy loe;aiia wisdom guided from the -eastern.to the western shores of. thls con tinent. As ne commemorate some of their labors today, we would not forget to render thanks to thee for the gaodly Jives they lived, for the self-sacrlfince and devotion to hish duty that moiedT them, and for the success they met in lajlng .here tfifi 'foundations of free Institutions. As their succeasorsvr5 ask for divine gufd ance and blesslnl3thaV following in their; steps, we may pr"aye.,wife Jind faithful In car rying on the nofkfthtfycscr nobly began. Not only in the "monument we- unx'aU today, but in; the way we .serve our country, thworld, and thee, may we fielp them to speak-to coming generations. ' And to "thy nameshall all praise be given now and'Mfore er. Amen. George H. Hlmes, assistant secretary or the Oregon "Historical Society, - sprung: a little surprise that struck vteryone as theTigfaViblng. He- paid a tribute, to Mr. "Sfatthleu's-thonored connection with the ; hlstorjHXf'OfeoonudU-by present- I -Hig niBV"in tne name ofiiie xxisfcujitn iSQcrety!' wftfi 'aASandiome .badge?5ov i embrTGtler jiinne'a'the.iadge on SfccvMat i thleu'fi Abreast and three cheerswre given- for Mr". Matthleu and three more fT the -Stale of Oregon The, badge Is ot silk,ln red, white and "blueplors. At the topln kTQSgJte, jp theseal of the Provisional Government, and in the cen ter, under the words, "Pioneer of 1842." Is the present state seal of Oregon. ln gold letters Is the Inscription": "Only szr--vlvor of the 52 persons who voted for the organisation of the -first civil 'gov ernment at Champoeg.. May 2: 1843. known In history as the Provisional Govern- ment." GOVERNOR GEER'S SPEECH. Inpldents of the Times "When the Government Was Formed. Governor Geer then delivered the fol lowing introductory address, which was also a history of the acts of the Pro visional Government: The great 'historic event whose 5Sth anniversary we meet on this occasion to commemorate was of greater Importance and has been more far-reaching in its con sequences than could have been supposed by any of those who took part in its pro ceedings. When, upon this exact spot ES years ago today, Joe Meek, in his im pulsively patriotic manner, called for a 'division" and, taking his stand apart from the others, asked all those who were in favor of an organization to follow him, he could not have foreseen, neither could his compatriots, the future great com. monwealth to be reared upon an enduring foundation, the corner-stone of which was that day so dramatically proyided. But all governments have their begin nings, and where they are not the result of a revolutionary overthrow of some for mer one, but spring from the necessities of pioneer settlers, they are usually the offspring of an unselflsh endeavor and a purpose to protect life,' liberty and prop erty impartially and effectually. .t. Romantic Enrly History. A truthful recital of the circumstances surrounding the early occupation and set rtlement "of Oregon reads like a well-prepared romance. The situation was whol ly unlike that pertaining to the early oc- 'cupancy of any other portion of our en tire country. "When the- early American Immigrants began to come here in con siderable numbers, the "Oregon country" was not a part of any natiOnT but was resting under a not well defined claim of .both the United States and of Great Brit, ajn. It was. Indeed, an Independent com - munlty, really owing allegiance to no t" higher power, and was, in fact, for .some years after its inception, a pure Democ racy., The early settlers referred to the United States as a foreign country. The J early archives are full of such references, and as Sate as the 17th. of December, 1847, the Legislature passed an act appropriat ing $500 "to defray the expenses of J. L. "Meek as special messenger to the United 4 States." It -Is both Interesting-and profitable to t riote that the early efforts toward es tablishing a civil government were marked by that simplicity and sturdy economy that characterized the pioneers in their dally lives. It was the ground work for that predominating feature in jqur present State Constitution, Inserted by the successors of these men in a later decade, which limits the number of stata officers performing the principal duties of the state government below that prevail ing In anv other state In th Union The meeting held on this -spot 58 years 1 ago has passed into history cs the ""Wolf meeting." but was really an adjourned meeting from a prior one held on the 2d of February of the same year, at the Oregon Institute, and another held on the first Monday of March at the bouse of Joseph Gervais. both of which were held .for the purpose ot "taking Into con sideration the propriety of adopting some measures for protecting our herds," etc. An Early Scnlp Bounty Law. In view of recent legislation In our state it Is interesting to note that the meeting held at the residence of Joseph , Gervais on March 1, 1845, passed a full fledged scalp bounty law. t will quote the report of the committee, which had been appointed at the February meeting for the inrpose of taking the initiative in the matter of subduing the predatory ' wolves: "Your committee begs leave to report as -follows: "It being admitted by all that bears, wolves, panthers, etc., are destructive to .the useful animals, owned by the settlers of this colony, your committee .would re spectfully submit the following resolu tions, as the sense of this meeting, by "which the community may be governed in carrying on a defensive and destructive war against all such animals: "Resolvedi vl. That we deem It expedient for this community to take immediate measures for the destruction of all wolves, bears and panthers, and such other animals as are known to be destructive to cattle, horses, sheep and hogs. "'2. That a treasurer be appointed who shall receive all funds and dispense the same, in accordance with drafts drawn on him, by the committee appointed to receive the evidences of the destruction of. the above-named animals; and that he report the state of the treasury by posting up public notices once In three months, in the vicinity of each of the committee. "3. That a standing committee of eight be appointed, whose duty It shall be, together- with the treasurer, to -receive the proofs pt evidences of the animals for, which a bounty is claimed, having been killed in the' "Willamette Valley. "4. That a bounty of 50 cents be paid for the destruction of a small wolf; $3 for 1 a large wolf, $1 50 for a lynx, $2 for a bear, and J5 for the panther. "5. That no bounty be paid unless the Individual claiming said bounty gives sat isfactory evidence,- or by presenting the skin of the head, with the ears, of all an imals for which he claims a bounty. "6. That the committee and treasurer forma board of advice to call public meet ings, whenever they may deem expedient, to promote and encourage all persons to use their vigilance In destroying1 all the animals named in the 4th resolution. "7 That the bounties named In the 4th resolution be limited to whites- and their descendants. "On motion it was "Resolved, That no one receive a bounty (except Indians) unless he pay a sub scription of J5. "It was moved and seconded that the Indians receive one-half as .much as the whites. "It was moved and seconded that all claims for bounties be presented within 10 days from the time of becoming entitled to said bounties, and If there should be any doubts the individual claiming the bounty shall give his oath to the various circumstances, which was carried." In the meantime, however. It was be coming apparent to the settlers of the "Willamette Valley that the protection of their own lives and rights, as well as their herds, could not be longer safely postponed. There can be no doubt that the Champoeg meeting had this end chief ly In view, although the Intention had evidently been , largely confined to the knowledge of those who sympathized with an American government. Evrlnsr Tonne' Property. . An incident which emphasized this n1 cesslty was the 'death of Ewing Young on February 15, 184L Mr. Young was th wealthiest American citizen in the coun try, and, leaving no will or heirs, as far as was known, and there being no pro bate officer, the distribution of his prop erty was a question of great Importance. His property finally went to the territo rial government, but it required some years to effect this result. On December 11, 1S45, Mr. Garrison presented a petition to the provisional Legislature, "from DaniPl "Waldo and Thomas Jeffries, in re lation to the estate of Ewing Young" Reference is made to the samematter In the Oregon Archives on December 17.. 1S45, on December 4, 184C, and again on the Sth. The matter was "finally disposed of by an act passed December 24, 1846, and Hhich reads as follows: "Section 1 Be It enacted by the Legis lative committee of Oregon, that the ex ecutive power shall appoint an adminis trator to close up and collect the debts due the estate of EjUng Young, deceased, and such administrator shall proceed as soon as possible to wind up the business of said estate. "Sec. 2 That 'the executive power shall cause to bo let out to the lowest bidder the building of a substantial log" jail at Oregon City, to be finished in such time and manner as they may think "proper, and shall take such bond and security as may be sufficient to secure Its completion. "toec. a That said administrator shall pay all moneys collected by him belonging td the estate of. said Young, deceased, to the Treasurer of Oregon, whose duty it shall be to give the said administrator a receipt for the same. "Sec. 4 That the-sum of fifteen hundred dollars be and the same is hereby appro priated for the building of said Jail, to be paid out of the first moneys received from said administrator of said estate, and in the event there Is not so much re ceived, then the balance to be paid out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated. "Sec. 5 That the-faith of this govern ment s hereby pledged for the payment of all moneys hereafter received from the administrator of the estate of said Young, whenever the same shall "be lawfully claimed, and said claim established by the heirs or creditors of said Young. "Sec. 6 That the executive power shall .be authorized to receive a lot donated by jonn -ucLiOugnun jor the purpose of erect ing said Jail, which lot shall be conveyed to Oregon agreeably to a communication of said John McLoughlln, addressed to a committee of this House appointed to wait upon him, "Sec 7 That said Jail shall be used alike ior the Imprisonment of all crimi nals in Oregon. "Passed December 24, 1844. "(Signed) M. M. McCarver, Speaker." The intention pf our sturdy fathers to do absolutely the right thing at all times Is well Illustrated In the 7th section of this act. In its comprehensive provision for "the imprisonment of all criminals in Oregon," In this proposed Jail. "Whether the jail was ever built in accordance with the requirements of this act Is somewhat doubtful, since It is recorded that on De cember 13, 1847. three years later, "Mr. Nesmith, from the committee on Judiciary to whom was referred that portion of the Governor's message relating to the erection of a Jail, reported they deemed It inexpedient in the present embarrassed condition of finance, to Incur the expense of. a Jail." Although the estate of Mr. Young was collected Into the treasury, it was never regarded as the absolute property of the territory In the territorial liabilities, the amount of $2615 Is given as "collected from the estate of Ewing Young." In after years, when Oregon had become a state, the valu of his property was refunded to his son, Joaquin Young, In New Mexico. Composition of the Government. The government organized here 5S years ago "by the inhabitants of the "Willamette settlements," consisting of a legislative committee, composed of the following honored pioneers, to wit: Messrs. Hill, Shortess, Hewell, Beers, Hubbard, Gray, O'Nelk Moore and Dougherty. Other civil officers .wjere chosen, a Major and Cap tains xJiWevselccted and instructed to en list men for companies of mounted rifle men: the per diem of the members of the legislative committee was fixed at $1 25,( the money to be raised by subscriptions, and the meeting adjourned to convene again on the 5th of the following July. For the purpose of protecting the public treas-. ury. .however. It was provided that the .legislative committee should not sit over six days. - I First Meeting of the Body. In pursuance of the duties imposed upon It, the committee met upon the 16th of the same month, and was in session on the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and the 27th and 2Sth of June. The meeting was held at "Willamette." presumably Oregon City, and, having occupied the entire six days at their disposal (a precedent, by the way, which has been followed re ligiously by their descendents) adjourned to meet at "Champoolck," on the follow ing Sth of July, in order to report their proceedings to "the people." The official title of this gathering is "Public meet ing, held on the 5th of July, 1843," and the opening- statement is to the effect that "the inhabitants of Oregon Terri tory met, pursuant to adjournment, to hear the report of the Legislative com mittee, and to do such other business as might come before them." No creden tials were necessary to entitle one to a legal participation In the proceedings of this meetlrur. It was composed of the "inhabitants of Oregon Territory," and as such they were laying the foundations of one of the best systems of state gov ernment to be found today in the entire Union. This was a period when the people met and enacted their own laws, and may be said to have been the halcyon days of the initiative and referendum, in Its full est simplicity, but It could not last long with that comprehensive exercise of pub lic privileges. Its universality is well Il lustrated, however, by this quotation from the official record of June 28, 1844, when Mr. Garrison introduced the following resolution, which was referred to the committee of the whole, but which was never acted upon, so far as the records show: "Resolved, That whereas the people of Oregon, assembled en masse, did on the 2d day of May, A. D. 1843T resolve that no tax should be levied upon this peo ple, confirming the same by the adoption of the report of the committee of ways anu means, adopted by the Legislative committee and referred to the people, en J masse, and by them enacted on the Sth day of July, 1843, therefore, "Resolved. That this house has no right to levy a tax of any kind, without the consent of the free voters of this territory, previously obtained. "Resolved, That all acts and parts of acts on that subject, passed by the Leg islative committee, were contrary to the express resolution and action of the peo ple." Incidental Difficulties. The preserved record of thatmeetlng held at this place 58 years ago makes no mention of the nassaere of the resolution here referred to, -but such action must j nave been taken, which seems to indicate that the vision of our fathers did not reach far Into the future, if they expected to maintain a government without levy ing taxes upon the- people. By following the official records, it will be seen that 18 months later than this, to wit, on the 19th of December, 1845, this law was ap proved by Governor Abernethy: "Sec 2. The Governor of Oregon is hereby authorized to give public notice throughout Oregon, either by publishing the same in the newspaper, or otherwise, that he will receive sealed proposals from all who may desire to give donations to the government for the purpose of erect-1 ing public buildings and locating the seat of government said proposal to state the amount to be given and the kind of prop erty In which, it is to be paid. It might be said in connection with this proposi tion that the manner in which our as sessments are disregarded at present in many cases amounts to little more than a voluntary contribution on the part of some of our counties toward the support of the state government. In this connection, It is Interesting to recall that when the Territorial Legisla ture met in Oregon City on the 7th of December, 1847, during the afternoon ses sion, the record says that Mr. Hembree, from the committee appointed to procure a room, reported that the room now oc cupied by Stephen Meek could be ob tained for ?1 25 per day, "which report was adopted." But the next day the rec ord says the report, on motion of Mr. Nesmith, was rejected. No reason what ever is assigned for this very disrespect ful treatment of Mr. Meek, but the house adjourned "to meet at the Methodist Church in SO minutes!" At the beginning of the session of 1846, Mr. Meek reported as follows: "Mr. Speaker, the committee appointed to procure a room for the use of the Legislature beg leave to report that they iiave discharged their duty by examining a room proposed by Mr. Knighton, at $2 a day, and one proposed by Mr. Card at a day. Taking everything into con sideration, we recommend the former." And at the opening of the session as late as 1S4S,' Mr. Crawford, of Marlon County, reported: "Your committee, to whom was referred the procuring of a house In which to hold the present session of the Legislature, beg leave to report that they have examined several houses, and have decided in favor of the one ownd by G. "W. Rice, which, together with wood for the session, can be had for $5 per day, in scrip." In connection with other features of the early troubles of our fathers, in the mat ter of proceeding with their legislative sessions, they at least seemed to be ex empt from the speculative tendency to corner the' wood supply for state Institu tions, although there are more trees grow ing in Oregon today than there were 60 years ago. On the 20th of July, 1849, although the Territorial Government was fully Inaug urated, the following resolution was in troduced and adopted: "Resolved, That a committee of two be appointed on the part of the House to act in conjunction with a like number to be appointed by the Council, to inquire into the expediency of the two Houses adjourn, lng until after harvest.". In accordance with the terms of this joint resolution, both Houses adjourned on the 2Sth of July, and recommenced on the 20th of Au gust, which was "after harvest." . The journal for the session of the legls- : latlve committee held on May 19, 1843, re cites that "the House adjourned by unit. Ing in prayer." On June 30, 1845, Mr. Gray presented a communication from Rev. H. Clark, "resigning his appoint ment as chaplain of the House," and Messrs. Garrison, Straight and Gray were appointed a committee to procure another chaplain. On the following dayjsjt Is re cprded that Mr. Garrison, from the committee to procure a chaplain, reported that "no person could be found to perform the duties of that office." It will be profitable for the younger gen eration of Oregonlans, who are accus tomed to behold costly and modern public buildings, and to read of general appro priation bills amounting to near $1,000,000 per annum, to be reminded that the ap propriation bill for the year 1845 was $1035, and that $500 of It went to pay the mem bers, ?40 to the clerk of the House and $20 to the engrossing clerk. My recollec tion is that the amount paid for clerk hire during the last session was somewnat in excess of this sum. The Second .Committee. The legislative committee which was the direct successor of the one elected here on the 2d" day of May, 1843, met In regu lar session at Oregon City on the 16th of December, 1844, at the house of J. E. Long: Two days later the report of the treas urer was presented, and Is as follows: "Received of collector of taxes, $3313 31; for license, two ferries, $40; one fine. $5; total receipts, $358 21, Expended for sta tionery, $20 3S; Mr Hathaway's house, $15; Judge Babcock's salary, $60; services, of secretary in house, $20; total, $115 38. Balance remaining in treasury, $242 93." Marlon County 'was known as Champoeg County until the name was changed by the Legislature on the 3d of September, 1849. On the 28th of August, 1849, It was "resolved that the county seat of Cham poore County be, and the same Is hereby located at the town of Salem, in said county." In the early printed records the name is spelled "Champoeg," "Cham poore," and "Champoolck." It is a matter to be regretted that the name of this county was ever changed. It is an Indian 'name, signifying "the place of the camp," is fully as euphonious as those other Indian names, Clackamas, Multnomah, Clatsop and Tillamook, and should have been preserved along with them as a memento of the earliest patriotic efforts of our pioneer fathers. But I must not trespass upon the mate rial to bo used by the distinguished speak ers who are to follow me. The field for retrospective research Is as unlimited as It Is rremarkably fascinating. . It is not only . fitting that those commemorative ceremonies should be held through the great respect we have for the fathers who builded here nearly 60 years ago. even better than they knew, but for the' ad ditional reason that It will have a ten dency to awaken a renewed Interest m early Oregon history among those whose lives "have begun -since the events of those stirring times which have passed forever into the annals of our state. I have re cently spent a few hours looking through the archives of our early history, now In the office of the "Secretary of State, and found it a'very Interesting and profitable pastime. Prominent Early-Day Figures. Of those who figured prominently in the history of our early affairs few are left. Our distinguished and honored fellow-citizen, Hon. F. X. Matthleu, Is the only sur vivor of that Immortal band, who, by their patriotic action here 58 years ago, made this spot sacred for all time to every loyal Oregonlan. He should be com forted by the assurance that he 'has thej united hope of all the people of the state he so nobly served, when his attitude seemed to demand a special sacrlfic, that he may live many years yet to enjoy the fruits of his early efforts in its behalf.. Even of those who rendered valuable ser vice to the budding commonwealth a dec ade later, none are In active life now that I recall, except our "Grand Old Man," Hon. George H. "Williams, and Judge R. P. Boise. I believe Judge Boise has seen longer service In the public af- J fairs of Oregon than any other man who has even been one of its "citizens. On the 12th of December, 1853, Hon J. D. Boon, who was the Territorial Treasurer, men tions In his report to the Legfalature that on the 17th of December, l52t ha "paid R. P. Boise, per order, No. 21, filed in this office, $300." I think Mr Boise- was elect ed Prosecuting Attorney about 1853, and has been almost continuously in the Ju dicial service of the state since, and now at the age of 80 yearst he Is physically hale, strong mentally, has yet four years to his credit in his present term as Circuit Judge in the Third District, and is round ing out an active and creditable career in, the state he helped to found, and is enjoying the esteem and confidence of all his fellow-citizens. To these names should, be added, how ever, tnose of Hon. H. "W. Corbett, the pioneer merchant, banker and1 philanthro pist, and Hon. A. Bush, who for many years was the territorial printer and editor of the Oregon Statesman. Both of these distinguished gentlemen are still at the head of large business Interests and are as strong mentally as 50 years ago. After a life of great honor and, useful ness to his adopted state, Nesmith sleeps on the banks of the Rickreal, near the old homestead he loved so well, and where all his active life was spent, when not In The Champoeg Monument, the service of the commonwealth. The older members of the Applegate family have long since gone to rest- among" the lovely hills of Southern Oregon, where they selected their homes more than a half century ago, and which they so bravely helped to wrest from the murder ous Indians of that section. Waldo and Newell and the elder McBride and Deady and Smith and Lane, and scores of others of equal eminence and usefulness have long since gone to that undiscovered coun try. But, although men may come and men may go, human responsibilities and duties never cease. It is a part of the his tory of the human race that younger gen erations have alwajs proven themselves able to assume and to successfully dis charge the duties falling upon them, and it Is believed that the Native Sons and Daughters of Oregon, assisted by those who have come among them, will prove no exception to this historical fact. Their devotion to the welfare and honor of their beloved state is unbounded and-immeasurable, and their every effort should be given to its continued development along such lines as will contribute to the ad vancement and betterment of all its peo ple. So we come today to dedicate this monu ment and the beautiful spot upon which it stands, to the people of Oregon, for all time," in memory of the patriotic men whose names are thus recorded as being our oldest pioneer state builders. Sixty years ago there were less than 36 white male settlers within the entire boundary of what now constitutes the great state of Oregon. From this small beginning and within a time that is comparatively short, has grown the magnificent state of which we are all so proud and of whose possibilities, who can portend? " The panarama- which met the sight of the first pioneers who came to the "Wil lamette Valley must have been Inspiring beyond description, and in contemplating the beauties of a great country like this, before it had been scarred by the hand of ambitious man while It was still in that condition, as when first made by "Our Father's God, from out whose hand The centuries fall, like grains of sand," It is doubtful whether, after all, real beauty is added to it by all the results of all the output of human energy. The encroaching forests and these adjacent hills, which today so gracefully lend their charm to the rapid march of maturing civilization, had never heard any sound, save the occasional war-whoop of the "untutored Indian." The then mystla country, "Where rolled the Oregon" was not far away, but the continuous woods adorned the banks ot the near-by river oven to the very spot where we are now assembled. Since a time when all calcu lation is lost In hopeless obscurity, the wonderful falls, only a few miles below had been engaged in a ceaseless round of majectlo activity, and then the river moved on, as now, to join the great Co lumbia, which, we are told, "Is sired by the eternal hills, and wedded to the sea." And, for ages-to come, may the faithful history of Oregon be so unruffled by the Jar of discordant civic or industrial ele ments that Its counterpart will be found in the characteristic placidity of the "Beautiful "Willamette" as. reflecting the luxuriant foliage which adorns its bonks with Inspiring pictures familiar to us since earliest childhood. It moves majes tically onward to Its home In the great Pa cific. At the conclusion of Governor Geer's address, Mr. Matthleu unveiled the monu ment. Poem by Mrs. Dnnitvay. Judge George H. Burnett, of Salem, read the following poem, which had been writ ten 'or the occasion by Mrs. Abigail Scott Dunlway: No braver crew e'er manned a hlp ot state Than these whose peaceful deeds we celebrate, On -this historic day. A patriot band "Were they who saved this goodly land From the encroaching- grasp of monarchy, And raised in noble pride the banner or the free. No clash of arms, no glittering array Of crested helmets, no vibrant display Of martial music, stirred the listening air; But rose o'er all. Instead, the earnest prayer Of border statesmen, met In days agone. To frame the laws, provisional, for Oregdn. As here we gather on this hallowed ground, "Where silence, sympathetic 3and profound, For eight and fifty years has reigned supreme, The deeds ot these heroic men our theme. Be mine the pleaBlng task to chant a lay In humble memory of the heroines of that day. No chiseled lines their strenuous Uvea proclaim, No marbte shaft records' their names; no fame Accrues to them; in solitude they strove. In primitive pursuits, their worth to proveN And toiling on in their allotted way. Oft held wild beasts and wilder savages at bay. Thus bravely did they bear their part, and we, "Who tlpe fruition of their work may see, Will not forget to keep their memory green, "Whene'er we meet on this historic scene, In honor of the sturdy sseal that won. For thee, Columbia, for thee, the State of Oregon! MR. SCOTT'S ADDRESS. Formation and AamlnistrstioH of Provisional Government. Mr. H, "W. Scott havlngr been called East on business, his address was read by Willis S. Duniway. It was well re ceived and the passages referring to the victory of the American settlers at Cham poeg; May 2. 1843, to Jo Meek's call for a division, and to Mr. Matthleu, were cheered. We are here today to' commemorate an event that took place on. this spbt clght-and-flfty years ago. That event was the birth of the first American common wealth, the organization of the first American Government, on the Pacific Coast of the United States of America, Oregon in those .days was much more distant from our Atlantic states in time, and far more difficult to be reached, than America was from Europe when the set tlement of the American continent began. The migration across the continent of America was, indeed, "the most extraor dinary of migratory movements since the date of authentic history. From the At lantic seaboard to the Mississippi River It was a movement by comparatively short and easy Btages; from the Mississippi- westward it was a single leap The slender column pushed its way over plains had mountains, through hostile' native tribes and ana wilderness the first parties requiring more than a year for the Journey; thfr later ones, as the routes became better known, not less than' sir months. Quite as long, though with less danger, fatigue and privation, Was the voyage by sea around the conti nent to these western shores of America. Nearer to Us than Jamestown and Ply mouth Is the heroic age. But T am not to speak today of the dis covery, exploration, migration and set tlement, It is. the Provisional Govern ment; created upon, this spot May 2, 1843, that is bur theme today. At the outset I shall quote a remark made by an emi nent citizen ot honored memory. Judge William Strong, who, in an address be fore 'the Pioneer Society of Oregon In 1879, said: -Oregon owes bv far the most of Its prosperity and rapid progress to the "early formation of the Provisional Government, the- wise laws which were enacted and' the inflexible justice with which they were administered." In pioneer daysAin Oregon as elsewhere ixx America,, "the Degtonlng of settlement wafc followed iaImost'lmmedla'tely by or ganization qf government. The Instinct of the race tofwhlcbj.we belong1 to estab lish clvll institutions and to organize government "undfr, regular forms of law was manifest hero before there were so many as tOQ.pefsons of American nativity Inthe whale country" west "of the Rocky Mountains. Joint occupation of the coun try by British subjecis"anrd "by people from the United States, each party hoping to hold the great Pacific Nortbwest for Its own country, hastened action while the inhabitants were yet very few. Such, however, was ihe .vigor and activity of the Americans na.t, though they were at first Inferior in numbers, they soon gained the ascendant and. rapidly re inforced during the years that followed. they had fully established civil govern ment ih Oregon long before the question of national jurisdiction was finally set tled between the United States and Great Britain. This first effort to establish a govern ment here was rooted largely in this international competition. From the first the people of Oregon had been separated into two great divisions those -owing al legiance to Great Britain and those ow ing allegiance to the United States. How this came about Is the one long story of our early history. There is no time to deal with It here. I merely speak of It as the fundamental fact in the early his tory of Oregon. So Closely divided were the parties that it was difficult at any time after 1840 tp say which had the numerical superiority- From the trans fer of Astoria in 1S13 down to the arrival of the American missionaries and first permanent American settlors down, In deed, to the year 1840 the English influ ence Avas decidedly in the ascendant. Preponderance of the Americans was slowly gained. The First Movement.. The Very first movement of the Amer ican settlers was a petition to Congress, in the year 1840. That petition asked for the protection of the United States, and prayed that "Congress would establish, as soon as may be, a territorial govern ment In the Oregon Territory." It con tained an allusion to the conflict with British interests here, as a reason why the United States should take speedy action. As American influence increased, our pioneers became constantly more active and urgent for formation of a govern ment. Most of the subjects of Great Britain naturally held aloof from a move ment in which American Influence was likely to be paramount. We had three classes of Americans in the Oregon coun try. First, American trappers, or moun tain men, who were hostile to the Hud son's Bay Company and strongly at tached to the United States. Second, the American missionaries, who were ardent ly attached to the Institutions of their own country, which are bound up with religious freedom. Third, American set tlers, who had come to make homes and to cultivate the soil. But the whole American population in 1842 was no more than one hundred and thirty-seven, of whom thirty-four were white women and thirty-two were white children. A con siderable number of Hie American set tlers and mountain men had . native wives. On the 7th of February, 1841, a meet ing of some of the inhabitants was held at Champoeg, then the center or seat of the principal settlement, "for the pur pose of consulting upon the steps neces sary to be taken for the formation of laws, and the election of officers to ex ecute them." The call was cautiously worded, so as to avoid the troublesome question of national sovereignty; for the Americans, who were making this Initia tory movement, thought It prudent not to go too fast, realising that the population of the country, though divided In their allegiance, yet had to live together. Roy. Jason'Lee, ot the Methodist mission, pre sided over this meeting. The Methodists were the leaders In missionary enterprise in Oregon. They had established the Willamette mission under direction of Rev. Jason Lee, in 1834. In 1835 Samuel Parker, a Presbyterian missionary, came for the purpose of making examination of the field and selecting stations for missionary labor. Next year he returned by sea to New York. Whitman, with a small party, followed In 1836. Roman Catholic missionaries began their work In Oregon In 1838-39. From year to year there were additions to the various mis sions, and small parties of Independent settlers were coming in. There was also in the country a considerable body of .the servants of the Hudson's Bay Com pany, some still in active service under the campony's direction, others who had left Its service voluntarily or had been discharged. These were mostly French Canadians, who had ticeit Indian wives and settled down In the country. Thus there were two sentiments; one Ameri can, the other British; and as the influ ence pf the Hudson's Bay Company was well established before the Americans came, the latter were looked upon very much as Intruders though in fact Great Britain - had never made a serious or definite claim to that part of Oregon ly ing Bouth of the Columbia River. -At this first raeetjnjr nothing was done beyond advising the selection of a com mittee for the .purpose of drafting a code of laws for the government of the coun- try. But an event soon occurred that hastened, action. This was the death of Ewing Young. He was a native of Tennessee; he had vis ited California as early as 1S23. and in 1834 he came to Oregon, in company with Hall J. Kelley. who had long "been known as an enthusiatst in oil that related to Oregon Kelley Tvas a citizen ot Massa chusetts. For years he had been Inde fatigable In his efforts to awaken inter est in Oregon and io Induce Congress to take action for encouragement and pro motion of settlement here. Finally he decided to visit Oregon himself, and see with his own eyes the land about wnicn he had written and spoken so much. He came by a circuitous route through Mexi co and California, and. In California he fell in witft Ewing Young, whom he in duced to come with him to Oregon. With a party of about 16 persons picked up about Monterey and San Jose, they sot out for Oregon In the Summer of 1S34. I Kelley soon returned by sea to Boston, but Young remained, and from that time until his death, In February, 1S41. his name has a conspicuous place in the pioneer life of Oregon. He- left consider able property, to which there were no legal claimants or known heirs; and as thero was no Probate Court, the adminis tration of the property became a perplex ing question. Most ot the American set tlers were present at the funeral, and after the burial servfeo the discussion turned upon the necessity of civil govern ment, "a new reason for which." says Thornton in his monograph, written, for the Pioneer Society of Oregon, "was seen by all in the condition In which the es tate of the deceased had been left." So a meeting was organised on the spot. Rev. Jason Lee was again chosen chair man, and Rev. Gustavus HIne3 was made secretary. To the committee of arrange ments named at the previous meeting the name of George W. Le Breton was added; a-committee of seven was likewise recom mended, whose business it should be to draft a constitution and a code of las for the settlements south of the Colum bia River, and the meeting proceeded to instruct the committee to recommend the following officers, viz.: A Governor; a Supreme Judge, with .probate powers; three Justices of the Peace; three Con tables; three Road Commissioners; an Attorney-General; a Clerk of the Courts; a Recorder; a Treasurer, and two Over seers of the Poor. Committee on Constitution. The committee to form a constitution and to draft a code of laws was com posed of tho following persons, viz.: Rev, F. N. Blanchct, Rev- Jason Lee, Rev. Gus tavus Hlqes, David Donpierre.. M. Char levon, Robert Moore, J. L. Parrlsh, Et lenne Lucler and William Johnson. It will be seen from these names that there was attempt at co-operatlqn among the different elements of population then in Oregon. Roman Catholic and Protestant missionaries, subjects of Great Britain and citizens of the United States, were associated on the committee, which was advised by the assembly to report a set of "officials, on a system suited to the wants of the community. Following these proceedings Dr. Ira L. Babcock was ap pointed Supreme Judge with probate pow ers: Georce Le Breton was named as Clerk of Courts and Public Recorder; Wll- I liam Johnson waff appointed High Sheriff and William MeCarly Xavler Ladevant and Pierre Bilique were chosen Consta bles. It was resolved that, 'until a code of law be adopted by this community. Dr. Babcock be instructed to act according to the laws of tho State of New York.' On the ISth day of February, the meeting was adjourned, "to nieet on the first Tues day of June at the new building, near the Catholic Church." At this second meet ing it was reported that no proceedings had been taken meantime by the commit tee appointed- to draft a constitution and code of laws, and adjournment was taken "to the American Mission House, on the first' Tuesday in October, 1841." This -was the end -of the first effort. Neither committee nor assembly met again. As might have been expected, po litical and ecclesiastical jealous!es:"began to arise. Was the American or British element to have ascendancy? Was the Protestant missionary or the -Catholic missionary to have the larger Influence In the- government? And, finally, there was the non-church element strongly Individ ualized, which wanted to limit the ec clesiastics of all names to their own proper functlcns. So there could be no organization, till more Americans should arrive. During the next two years the project of local government remained quiet. But the number of Americans was increasing. To the 137 Americans in thfc country at the beginning of 1842, there were added by immigration that year 112 persons, in cluding 42 families. There were also considerable reinforcements to the Brlt-iBh-Cnnadian colony from the Red Rivec of the North. Project Afraln Taken Up. Early in .the year 1843 the project of a provisional" government was started again. This second attempt al30 was tak en partly under cover of a utilitarian scheme. Beasts of prey, bears, panthers, wolves, were very numerous, and the set tlers suffered great loss through depre dations upon their flocks and herds. A preliminary meeting was held at the Ore con Institute (Methodist mission) Febru ary 2. 1843, at Which it was moved that f a general meeting be called on the first Monday of March at tho house of Joseph Gervais, a Hudson's Bay pioneer, whose name Is perpetuated in the town of Ger vais, Marion County. At this meeting, held at the appointed time, measures were taken for concert in destruction ot noxious animals: and following this a committee of 12 was appointed to "con sider, measures for the civil and military protection of this colony." This commit tee consisted of Dr. Babcock, Dr. White. Messrs. O'Nell. Shortess, Newell, Lucler, Gervais. Hubbard, McRoy, Gay, Smith and ,Gray. The names sufficiently show the p'redominance of men of United States nativity. But the question whether the new or ganization wns to be based on acknow ledged allegiance to the United States or not Instantly came uppermost. An ad dress of "the Canadian citlsens of Ote gon" was presented to the meeting, In which It was urged that "laws and regu lations for welfare of our persons and for security of our property and labors" be enacted, but objection was made to or ganization of a military force, on the ground that It was "useless at present" and "rather a danger of bad suspicion to the Indians"; and Anally, that "we consider the country free to all nations, opening to every Individual wishing to settle, without any distinction of origin, and without asking him anything, either to become an English, Spanish or Ameri can citizen." This was signed by men proclaiming themselves "English sub jects," numbering about BO. It was "laid aside for tho present' as the business Of thfr meeting was understood" to have been completed by the appointment of the committee of 12, which was to develop a plan of organization. This committee was to report at a gen eral meeting, called to assemble at Cham- ' poeg. May 2, 1843. On the appointed, day about an equal numoer- oi American- citi zens and British subjects came together In mass meeting, and It was announced that the report of the committee of 12 was ready. Dr. Babcock took the chair and the report of the committee was read. From the composition ol! the com mittee It was not doubted that It would report In favor of political organization, to continue in force Until the United Stated should establish a territorial gov ernment. Such the report proved to be. The subjects of Great Britain could not be expected to participate and acquiesce, for such action on their part would have amounted to renunciation of their allegiance to Great Brittain and consent to the American claim of sovereignty. So when the motion was put that the report be adopted there was a division on national lines; and so close was it that the chairman was unable to decide which party had the majority. Then Joseph L. Meek, one of our sturdy pioneers, a na tive of Virginia, who had come West in the eplrlt ot boyish adventure, and had. passed uany years on the plains und among the mountains, sprang- to his- feet and called for a division. Appealing to the Americans, he exclaimed, in his Im petuous way. "Who's for a divide? A for the Teport of the committee and an organlsaton. follow mel" The effect was electrical. The men on either side fell in to their places to be counted. The ayes were 52, the noes 50. Another account says the ayes were 35; but It Is probable that In the larger number some absen tees, .or persons who were expected but were not present, were Included. Upon the announcement of the vote the oppo nents of organization mounted their horses and rode away, leaving the field td the Americans It was a victory to which; missionaries, mountaineers and In dependent settlers had contributed: It waj a -victory of the American spirit, asserted by courageous few, at this remotest outpost of the American republic. Honor to the spirit and courage of Joseph L. Meek; honor to the leadership and mem ory of one who, though wholly without conventional culture, and lacking even in the elementary parts ot school education. proved himself the man for the place and time. No list was made at the time of tie names of those whose votes that day car ried the motion fo establish a govern ment in Oregon the ftrst government on the Pacific slope within the domain ot the United States. Diligent effort has been made to recover the names, and the effort has been almost wholly successful; but the list now obtainable depends on the memory of witnesses who were, pres ent, but one of whom survives to thla day. This Is F. X. Matthleu. who has lived continuously In this vicinity fever since the day of that njeeUng. Another. John L. Morrison, who came to Oregon tn 1842, who built the first house- on Morri son street, In Portland, and for whom the street wa3 named, was, till recently, living upon one of the Islands In the northern part of Puget Sound. One of the most active, earnest and forceful of the men who helped to carry the day. May 2, 1S43, was William H. Gray, who camo with Whitman In 183S- He is one distinct ly to be named among the fathers of Ore gon, It is through the venerable Mr. Matthleu that the spot Is Identified where the meeting was held, and where the monument is placed which wa dedicate this day. Progress ot Organization. The Americans now proceeded rapidly with their work ot organisation. A mat ter of the first Importance was the for mation ot a legislative committee, whose duty It was to report a form of organic law for the new commonwealth. Tho committee was constituted of these names, to-wltr A. E. Wilson, G- W. Le Breton, J. L. Me6k, W. H.-7WUIson, D. Hill. Robert Shortess, Robert Newell, Alanson Beers, T. J. Hubbard. W. H. Gray, J. O'Nell, Robert Moore and Wil liam Dougherty. After deliberation, of several days and election of A. E. Wil son to the office of Supreme Judge, G. W "Le Breton, Clerk of the Court. J. L. Meek. Sheriff and W. H. Wlllson Treasurer, tne meeting adjourned to the Sth of July, by which time the legislative committee was to be ready with the organic law. No Instructions seem to have been giv en to this committee as to where it was to meet for Its work, but records show that It had Its sittings at WlHIamette Falls, In a building tendered by the Meth odist mission for the purpose. The bund ing was devoted to a variety of Maea. It has long since disappeared. It Is de scribed as a building one and a half stories high, 18 feet wide, end 3a feet long, the upjer portion being used as a storago and sleeping apartment, Thlle the lower part was so divided as to make on a squaro room for a school house and piaco of worship, and the other was used for storing wheat. The committee continued Its sittings until the 12th day of May, end then adjourned, to meet tho last Thurn day in June. At this last meeting the final touches were given to its work. Upon the appointed day, July 5, 1843. the convention reassembled on this spot. Some description of this first stato-houa of Oregon may be interesting. From the accounts I have been able to gather It was built with posts sunk into the ground, two and two together, with spaces between them, which were fllleu In with split timber. Such were the walls, which Were held together by horizontal poles laid across the top: and the whole structure was surmounted by rafter made of fir poles, coverdd by a roof 6t l cedar bark. That edifice, needless to say. has not remained to this day. The civil officers elected In May were I sworn In upon an oath cf office drafted by a special committee consisting of Chairman Babcock and Rev. Jason Lee. Harvey Clark and David Leslie. Then Lthe report of the legislative committee was submitted. It 'was somewhat elab orate. We can not follow Its details here, but will quote its preamble, as a passage of special Interest, to-witt "We. the peo ple of Oregon Territory, for the, purposes of mutual protection and to secure peace and prosperity among ourselves, agree to adopt the following laws and regulations, until such time as the United States of America fextend their jurisdiction over us." The dispute as to sovereignty with Great Britain was not yet settled; but here was avowal of a purpose to hold the country for the United States. The re port of the committee proceeded to di vide the territory Into four districts. The first called Tuality district, "comprising all the territory south of the boundary line of the United States, west of the Willamette, or Multnomah river, north of the Yamhill river, and east of the Pa cific ocean." The second was the Yam hill district, "embracing all the countrv Tvest of the Willamette, -boalnMaltnomah river, ana a suppn?imilne tunning north and south from said river south of th Yamhill river, to the boundary lino of the United States and California." The fourth district was called the Champoeg district, bounded on the north by a sup posed line drawn from the mouth of the Anchiyoke (Pudding) river, running due east to the Rocky Mountains, west by the Multnomah river, and south by the boun dary line of the United States and Cali fornia. The third district, "to be called the Clackamas district," comprehended all the territory not Included in the other districts. In this quaint manner was a region of almost continental proportions, yet con taining only a few hundred inhabitants they wholly In the Willamette Valley divided into representative districts. The southern llna was the 42d degree ot latitude, known as the line of boun dary between California, then be longing to Mexico, and Oregon. Our claim extended to "fifty-four forty" V the British claim to the country north of the Columbia River was strongly asserted, "and Englishmen made a kind of claim. Indefinite and nebulous, to the territory south of the river. No citizen of the United States had yet settled In the country north of the Columbia. Within the present limits of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho there were some American missionaries, but they were not so situated as to be able to participate in this political movement It was not till two years later that the first American settlers entered the territory north of the Columbia and west of the Cascade Mountains. Persons who came over the plains in 1844 were the first Americans who settled in the Puget Sounds country. They were led by Michael T. .Simmons, who settled at the head of Budd's Inlet in October, 1845. It was his party that opened the first trail from the Columbia River to Puget Sound. Conertittfilonal Provision. Under the constitution reported by the committee the legislative power was to be vested In nine persons to be chosen by the qualified electors; each district to have representation In proportion to its popu lation, excluding Indians. No discrimina tion as to suffrage was made against per sons not citizens of the United States, but "every free male descendent of a white roan of the age of 21 years and up ward, an Inhabitant of this territory at the time of Its organization.'' was declared a qualified elector. Elections were to be held annually. The executive power wa3 to be vested la "a committee ot three per-