Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/124

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116 FREDERICK V. HOLMAN Donpierre, David Lambert, Augustin Dubois, Andre LaPrate, Alexis Ducharme, Jean B. Longtain, Andre Felice, Antoine Lor, Moyse Forcier, Louis Matte, Joseph Gagnon, Luc Maloin, Fabien Gauthier, Pierre Mongrain, David Gervais, Joseph Papin, Pierre Gingras, Jean Pariseau, Pierre Gregoire, Etienne Remon, Augustin LaChapelle, Andre Roi, Thomas LaBonte, Louis Rondeau, Charles Laderout, Xavier Sanders, Andre Laferty, Michel Senecalle, Gideon LaFramboise, Michel Servant, Jacques Lalcoure, Jean B. Van Dalle, Louis B. It is but fair to state that some of these French-Canadians took part in the actual formation of the first Provisional Gov- ernment, July 5, 1843, and, so far as I have been able to ascer- tain, all of them supported the first Provisional Government when it became established, and some, of them made contribu- tions for its support. After the organization of the Terri- torial Government of Oregon, most of them, if not all of them, became naturalized citizens of the United States. It would be as unfair to say that they were not sincere in opposing the formation of a provisional government, as it would be to say that those who voted in favor of its organization were not acting from proper motives. They were subjects of Great Britain and were as much entitled to their views as were the fifty-two persons who voted in favor of the organization of the government. Revs. F. N. Blanchet and Modeste Demers had a right to oppose the formation of a provisional govern- ment as well as Rev. Jason Lee and George Abernethy, and as well as Revs. Harvey Clark and Gustavus Hines had to favor it. Great credit should be given to Etienne Lucier for voting in favor of a provisional government. Without his vote there would have been a tie and the authorization of a provisional government would have been postponed. He came to Oregon