W hitman’s memorable Ride Dt 
of presenting the true state of the case to the President, the Sec- 
retary of State, and other members of the government. That he 
was justified in his fears is more than fully demonstrated by the 
historical occurrences of the times. 
It is conceded by all historians who have written on the sub- 
ject that Dr Whitman’s mission to Washington, accompanied as 
he was across the continent by that other brave pioneer, General 
A. L. Lovejoy, in the winter of 1842-48, saved Oregon to the 
union, and all that is implied in, and which attaches to, that sal- 
vation. His mission was of a quadruple nature. It was in the 
interest, first, of the preservation of the sovereign rights of the 
United States to a vast and immensely valuable territory about 
to be bartered away through misinformation on the part of the’ 
government; second, of the preservation of the lives and prop- 
erty of American citizens, men, women and children, pioneer 
emigrants, then settled in Oregon territory, and the protection 
of Christian missions in the Indian territory of the Far West ; 
third, of the material welfare of the United States; and fourth, 
of the great cause of American civilization. 
Although the board of missions, under whose auspices Dr 
Whitman had gone to Oregon seven years before, for the reason, 
doubtless, that they did not understand the real situation, did 
not take kindly to his return without leave on his noble and 
perilous mission, and he was, according to the historian Gray, 
“Instead of being received and treated as his labors justly en- 
titled him to be, met by the cold calculating rebuke for unreason- 
able expenses, and for dangers incurred without orders or in- 
structions or permission, from the mission to come to the states.” 
Although this may be, and doubtless was, true, as stated in this 
paragraph by Gray, the time has at last come when all shadows 
have been dispelled, all doubts removed, and when in the clear 
light of accurate, impartial history the motives, the courage, the 
patriotism, the Christian fidelity of Dr Whitman are seen and 
recognized in their true character, not only by the representatives 
of the Congregational church, its early and present missions, 
not only by the people of the Pacific northwest, nor yet alone 
by the whole American people, but likewise by those of the 
whole civilized world. 
The interest attaching to this memorable trip of Dr Whitman 
across the continent in the winter of 1842-45 was widespread. 
Its fame extended throughout the nation, and the subject of 
Oregon and the rights of the United States in respect to the same 
