JOHN FISKE'S CHANGE OF ATTITUDE ON THE WHITMAN LEGEND
By Leslie M. Scott
John Fiske, the eminent historian, once accepted as authentic the story that Whitman "saved" Oregon. But later scrutiny changed his view and before his death in 1901 he repudiated the story completely.
This matter is brought up at this time by re-publication, by the Oregon Pioneer Association, of Mr. Fiske's address, delivered by him at Astoria, May 11, 1892; also by recent publication of the Marshall work (Acquisition of Oregon) which dissects and destroys the "Whitman myth." Mr. Marshall was directly instrumental in changing the view of Mr. Fiske. Letters exchanged by them after 1892, discussing the subject, are in possession of Mr. C. B. Bagley of Seattle, publisher of the Marshall book, and have been read by the present writer.
Mr. Fiske accepted the Whitman-saved-Oregon story in his address at Astoria; but the address as published in 1909 (Unpublished Orations; Boston Bibliophile Society) is wholly revised and rewritten in the part relating to Whitman; the original remarks are expunged and the substitute are expanded. The version as finally authorized by the historian eliminates the legend, dismisses as a "fiction of the imagination" the tale that Whitman "saved" Oregon by leading the migration of 1843. The revision is published by the Oregon Pioneer Association.
This change of view in the historical eye of Mr. Fiske has important bearing on accepted facts and future researches into old Oregon annals. Mr. Fiske's Astoria address gave immense weight to the "legend." Lighter authorities found themselves somewhat flattened by the steam roller from Cambridge. But Mr. Fiske heard protests; looked further; reversed his earlier conclusions. Then unwilling to bequeath the error to posterity, he expunged it and rewrote his Astoria "speech." He calls Whitman faithful missionary and "martyr;" speaks of him sympathetically as a daring pioneer, pursuing the westward
