093 RESCUE OF THE CAPTIVES.

even admitting the monstrous idea that its officers were capable of such acts ; the lack of both opportu- nity and motive on the part of the priests, admitting that these young men just out of European or Cana- dian colleges could be thinking of murder, should be sufficient proof that they did not instigate the In- dians. The country belonged by treaty to the United States, hence the company had nothing to gain. The priests had not yet established a mission, or obtained control of the Indians. They knew that Whitman intended leaving the Walla Walla Valley, and would if they wished it sell them his improvements at Waiilatpu. Why then kill him 1 Or why, if he must be killed, did the Protestant instead of the Catholic Cayuses do the deed? It was the Indians nearest to Whitman who killed him, even those almost of his own household. But the captives, saved and lib- erated by those they now accused, being instigated by sectarian hatred, were put upon the stand, and tricked into saying things the most abominable and absurd. It was Spalding himself who should have been examined, under oath, and not all those afflicted and bewildered captives who understood little or noth- ing of the causes which led to their great misfortunes. Finding the Protestants taking depositions, the Cath- olics also resorted to sworn statements ; and it must be admitted that so far as the depositions go the latter have the best of the cause. But the rancor on both sides ! The merely secular mind shrinks from contem- plating it. 43 I have in previous chapters stated my belief that the interference of the Catholics augmented Whitman's troubles with the Cayuses ; but it is evi- dent to my mind that had there not been a Catholic in the country the catastrophe would have come in the identical shape that it did come, from Indian jeal- ousy alone. Blanch et, in attempting to account for

43 Among the writers who will not countenance the accusations published in the Oregon American in 1848 are Evans, Strong, Dowell, Waldo, J. Henry Brown, Victor, Deady, I. I. Stevens, and J. Ross Browne. Thornton a:ul Gray continued to put forth these horrible ideas.