Destruction of the San Xavier Missions
his own way his side of the controversy. He took occasion to accuse the missionaries of neglect in their sacred duties, of being quarrelsome and meddlesome, of arbitrariness, and of having encouraged the Indians to revolt and to take up arms against the garrison. The excommunication fulminated against him and the garrison, he claimed, the two envoys would explain. It had caused the soldiers to threaten the abandonment of their post if pardon was not granted. As a result of the excommunica- tion the garrison had since been deprived of religious services. 52 The two couriers made fast time. On February 2·2, two days later, they were already in San Antonio where Fray Mariano first learned of the occurrences at San Xavier. Apprehensive that violence might result, he sent a letter to Rabago posthaste with the learned and prudent Fray Diego Martin Garcia, offering to settle all questions and to remove the excom- munication.53 But Rabago did not deign to answer the communication, certain that Guevara and Carbajal would do much to blacken the reputation of the unselfish missionaries, the longer the excommunication lasted. Early in March the two envoys had reached Mexico City, where they presented their report. This serious matter was referred at once to Altamira, who, on March 24, after summarizing the great expense to which the royal treasury had been put in the establishment of the mis- sions and presidio at San Xavier, declared that the entire enterprise was in grave danger of total ruin through the impertinence of Captain Rabago and his lack of judgment and prudence. But the missionaries had been perhaps equally hasty in resorting to extreme and drastic measures. He expressed deep disappointment that the two groups should not cooperate in the holy purpose of their duty, the conversion of the Indians. Instead the garrison had given grounds for scandal and set_a terrible example for the neophytes. From the facts available, it seemed to Altamira that Fray Pinilla had been too hasty in his excommunication. In this the Fiscal, Doctor Andreu concurred. Unaware of what had transpired since, the Fiscal recommended that the ecclesiastical judge in San Antonio should be requested to ask Fray Pinilla to remove the excommunication at once; that instructions should be sent to Captain Rabago to exercise more prudence in the future; and that similar instructions be sent to the mis- sionaries. In order to determine the facts of the case the Governor of Texas and the Captain of San Antonio should conduct a judicial investi- gation. In the meantime the Guardian of the College of Queretaro should SZ/bid., pp. 145-147. ~Bolton, Teras, 259-260.
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