Handicaps to JJ,fission Development, 1731-1750
57
Tlie removal of missionaries. Governor Franquis did not only exceed his authority in undertaking to censor the mails to prevent complaints against him from reaching officials in Mexico, but as already stated, he claimed he had the right to move missionaries from one mission to another and to send them even outside of the province. On one occasion he declared that as representative of the king, in the exercise of royal patronage, he had full authority to do not only this, but anything that was to the best interests of the king, affirming that the church and the missions were his to do with them as he pleased. The most typical example of his arbitrary actions in this regard, and one which put him in a rather ridiculous light, was the disagreement he had with Fray Felipe Suarez de Espinosa. Shortly after the arrival of the new governor in San Antonio. an Indian died in the Mission of Valero, where Father Felipe was in charge. The mission Indians immediately set up the customary wail. The loud and prolonged lamentations in the middle of the night awoke the governor, who, ignorant of the practices on the frontier and naturally apprehensive of Indian attacks, immediately ordered the whole garrison placed under arms to repel the attack. But as the wailing continued and no attack took place, the nervous governor inquired the meaning of the noise from the more experienced soldiers, who told him it was nothing more, perhaps, than the death wail for some dead Indian in one of the missions. Franquis sent a messenger at once to San Antonio de Valero to ascertain the facts. When he learned the truth, he was very angry, realizing that he had made a fool of himself. He sent word to Father Felipe that he should have notified him of the death of the Indian, declaring that if the Padre did not know his duty he would teach it to him. Father Felipe, who, it will be remembered, had been kept waiting by the governor when he had gone to present his respects, had no reason for being patient. He replied rather vigorously that he knew his duty perfectly well and that if it were not so late, he would come to the presidio and explain it to the governor. Franquis was in no mood to receive such a message. He again sent word to the impertinent friar that no one could talk to him in such a manner, that he would send him out of the province and back to his college, or to Hades, packed on a mule. To this the missionary replied that he was ready to start in the morning provided an escort was furnished. 41
' 1 Fray Felipe Suarez de Espinosa to Fray Miguel Sevillano, January ti', ti'3i'; Fray Benito Fernandez de Santa Ana to Fray Miguel Sevillano, January t 6, ti'37, in
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