Copy
Siletz Ind Agency Nov 14th 1872
My dear friend
Your letter of 5th sent in refference to the probable success of securing the Rev. E F Henry as Teacher &c, came to hand yesterday, and I shall be glad if your efforts are crowned with success. But brother Parrish, I am dishartened and utterly discouraged in this work. The odds are now greately against me this time and cry in the church against us has so opened the field for those who are opposed to the whole policy, that their opposition has become effective among the Indians themselves – for, whilst a large majority of them have confided in, and desire me to remain, there are enough who are flatered and hoodwinked by that element, to keep up a constant turmoil and excitment, and without going into detail, The effect of this blowout is visable at every turn. And the sooner I can get away from here the better. I have become so fully satisfied of this, that yesterday, I sent my resignation to the Superintendents office and expressed a hope that I might be relived at
at the earliest possible moment. I suppose the Supt cannot relive me untill he is informed by the department that my resignation has been accepted unless indeed some one has already been appointed in my place, which is highly probable, for your comminication could not have been received until long after Mr Roberts, and if the party to whom it was sent acted promptly, yours would have been too late. at all events, it opens the door for distrust and enlarges the field of oppositions – besides it is in the mouth of every scalawag in the country white or Indian – for its publication in the advocate, appealed directly to the christian portion of the community and it is pointed at by the opposition as an evidence of unfaithness on my part, and mine working and intrigue on the part of others.
I am beginning to feel that Howard was right, when he represented to some of my friends, that I was in my dotage, and could not succeed for if I had acted as my better judgment dictated at the time, I would have scattered and crushed the element of discord at once, but instead, was so weak as to nurse a thorn until it has finally pentrated to the bone. Now under all the circumstance, it will be better for me to go home and attend to my own affairs! But I am by no means
willing to admit that the policy is a failure, but upon the contrary, that it can be made a success – but to effect it, others having this charge of the refining work must have an object beyond the Almighty dollar–. There must be labour, hard [...] labour to prepair these people for the change – it is useless to preach christian conversion to a starving man – first feed him – but tis well to practice the christain virtues whilst prepairing the meal.
I am ready to admit that I have made some mistakes in selecting employees – it takes time to prove these things and you are correct in supposing that the remedy would be applied as soon as possible. Those drawing a comparison between the condition of the Indians upon this reserve and those upon the [Yashnawan] reservation must remember that Father Miller has been in charge some ten years with the surroundings wholly dissimilar The two native [...] upon his agency [...] not had the benefit of the improving work of Mr Perkins and others at the dalls [...] and continualy [...] it is a new theme. The want of friends has been
a serious drawback. The entire superintency, under the class of accounts from which we draw our supply is largely in arrears. The former agent here instead of turning over to me the funds in his hands as directed, turned over to Mr Meacham four thousand three hundred and eighteen dollars – and Mr Meacham is due the department over tweleve thousand dollars according to his own books.
We had to raise a crop and necesseraly to go in debt to do so, a hugh and cry is raised among creditors, particularly members of our church -- and I believe they were [...] by Howard. I am sorry we could not pay them. But we have produced a crop but enough of this. I shall be in corvallis on the 4th Monday of this month with Indians to [...] Boyle for the [...] chief Jackson on 5th July last. I may possibly come to salem. I would be glad to see you for I rejoice to [...], that I have one friend of sufficient boldness to speak out, one too, who all know, acts from pure motives
god bless you
Your friend
Joel Palmer
To Hon J L Parrish
Salem Oregon
*If you see proper, confer with Mr Cook and show him this for I have esteemed him friend and a true man. I have no wish to raise [...] or to make great ado about a little thing. but I do feel greatly agrieved about the publication in the advocate, but let it go. it is now too late to recall. I suppose Mr Roberts did not know how great a wrong he was doing me in its publication.