1814.] TERMINATION OF THE ASTORIA ENTERPRISE. 305 



land, bringing a large stock of supplies ; by the aid of which the 

 partners of the North- West Company were enabled to extend their 

 operations, and to establish themselves more firmly in the country. 



Such was the termination of the Astoria enterprise; for no 

 attempt has been since made by any of the persons who were en- 

 gaged in it to form establishments on the western side of America. 

 It was wisely planned : the resources for conducting it were ample ; 

 and its failure was occasioned by circumstances, the principal of 

 which could not have been reasonably anticipated at the time of its 

 commencement. That ships might be lost at sea, or that parties might 

 be destroyed by savages, or perish from cold or hunger, — casualties 

 such as these were expected, and provisions were made for the con- 

 tingencies. But, in 1810, when the Beaver sailed from New York, 

 no one believed that, before the end of two years, the United States 

 would be at war with the greatest maritime power in the world. 

 By that war the whole plan was traversed. Communications by 

 sea between the United States and the Pacific coasts became diffi- 

 cult and uncertain, whilst those by land were of little advantage, 

 and were always liable to interruption by the enemy ; and there 

 was, in fact, no object in collecting furs on the Columbia, when 

 those articles could not be transported to China. 



The Pacific Company, nevertheless, might, and probably would, 

 have withstood all these difficulties, if the directing partners on the 

 Columbia had been Americans, instead of being, as the greater part 

 of them were, men unconnected with the United States by birth, or 

 citizenship, or previous residence, or family ties. Mr. Astor de- 

 clares that he would have preferred the loss of the establishments 

 and property by a fair capture, to the sale of them in a manner 

 which he considered disgraceful; yet, although the conduct of 

 Macdougal and Mackenzie, in that sale, and subsequently, was 

 such as to authorize suspicions with regard to their motives, they 

 could not have been expected to engage in hostilities against their 

 compatriots and former friends. Being thus restrained from defend- 

 ing the honor of the Pacific Company by force, they may have con- 

 sidered themselves bound to take care of its interests, by the only 

 means in their power, as they did in the sale. American citizens 

 would have resisted the North-West Company, and would doubt- 

 less have maintained their supremacy, in the country of the Co- 

 lumbia, for some time, possibly until peace had been made between 

 Great Britain and the United States. 

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