[From the Oregonian of January 11, 1885.]
DR. WHITMAN.
Another Contribution to the Discussion Respecting Him.
A Review of the Positions of Mrs. Victor and Hon. Elwood Evans, from the Missionary Standpoint.
BY REV. M. EELLS.
To the Editor of the Oregonian:
In your issue of November 7th is an article by Mrs. F. F. Victor about Dr. M. Whitman. Will you have the kindness to permit me to correct some mistakes and make a few comments upon it? I will take up the points mainly in the same order in which I find them in the article.
First. Mrs. Victor says the object of Gov. Simpson's journey around the world in 1841 was "the study of the fur trade and not politics." Such a statement needs qualification as to the fact, and certainly as to the hint from it about Gov. Simpson's interest in the political question of Oregon. It is true that his main object was the study of the fur trade, but he certainly did study the politics of this country at the same time, as its politics very materially affected the fur trade. The Hudson's Bay Company to this day affirm that they hoped to obtain all of Washington Territory north and west of the Columbia river. Dr. W. F. Tolmie, formerly in charge of Fort Nisqually, told me so within a month. That was a political subject. Simpson, in his "Journey around the World," (American edition, 1847), devotes a part of chapter six to a discussion of this political question, and says (page 151): "The United States will never possess more than a nominal jurisdiction, nor long possess even that, on the western side of the Rocky mountains, and supposing the country to be divided to-morrow to the entire satisfac-
