Hall Jackson Kelley 45
to the eflFect of Kelley's writings upon the popular mind, John B, Wyeth said that "there were circles of people, chiefly among young farmers and joume)mien mechanics, who were so thor- oughly imbued with these extravagant notions of making a fortime by only going over land to the other side of the globe, to the Pacific Ocean, that a person who expressed a doubt of it was in danger of being either afifronted, or, at least, accused of being moved by envious feelings. After a score of people had been enlisted in this Oregon expedition, they met together to feed and to magnify each other's hopes and visionary no- tions, which were brought up to a high degree of extravagance, so that it was hardly safe to advise or give an opinion adverse to the scheme."® And Mr. John Bach McMaster tells us that in the debate in the Massachusetts legislature in 1830 on the question of building a railroad from Boston to Albany, "a member declared that the road ought to be constructed in order to keep the people from going to Oregon ; that an association of active, enterprising men had been formed to colonize that coimtry, and that four thousand [ !] families had engaged to go."* Nevertheless, he expresses the belief that "the circulars and notices of Kelley and the overland journey of Wyeth aroused but little public interest in the Oregon country."*®
As already stated, Kelley's plans, as set forth in the General Circular, included provisions for schools to which Indian chil- dren would be admitted, and for an "education or Indian fimd" and a "religious fund." In 1831 he published in Zion's Her- ald, "a series of letters addressed to a member of congress," presenting his plans for the settlement of Oregon. These were followed by other articles in 1832 calling for missionaries to accompany the expedition. The New England Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church thereupon appointed "two pious men," Spalding and Wilson, as missionaries to the
8WyetJi, s8.
9 McMaster, United States, VI, 109.
10 Ibid., 112. Sec Niles' Register, XL, 407 (»83i), quoting from the St. Louis Republican as to the proposed expedition.
