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Our Catlzolic Heritage in T ezas
fields, whether they belonged to the missions or to private individuals. and their fields had no fences ... To the Indians he opened the door wide for all excesses by refusing to help subject them [to the discipline and routine of mission life] ... How much he outraged the missionaries cannot be imagined. They are really to be pitied." He then informed the viceroy that he was leaving Don Prudencio de Orobio y Basterra in charge of the government, since he had to return to Nuevo Leon, where an Indian uprising had broken out. 60 In a letter of Father Fray Fernandez de Santa Ana to Father Sevillano are found other effects of the governor's policy. This troubled missionary points out that the removal of the guards, the strict instructions to the men assigned to each mission to do nothing but guard duty, and the disrespect shown to the missionaries before the soldiers and the Indians on all occasions had destroyed the morale of the neophytes completely and "the Indians and their pueblos are rapidly deteriorating . . . the ruin of the missions can no longer be ignored. They [the Indians) no longer mind the mission bell and I only fear that some of the missionaries may lose their mind." He added that the crops planted were promising and that he entertained no fear of a shortage of food, but he explained that due to the troubled state of affairs construction in the missions had prac- tically ceased. 61 Father Fray Pedro de Ysasmendi, in Mission San Francisco de la Espada, had occasion to experience the full effect of Franquis' disrespect upon the neophytes. When one day it became neces- sary to punish an Indian for failure to observe the routine of mission life, the native refused to submit to it and all the others openly threatened the missionary with violence, whereupon the culprit was allowed to go unpunished. At another time, when an Apache attack was expected, Governor Franquis sent word at midnight to Father Ysasmendi, who was at Mission San Francisco, to send the soldier assigned to the mission to the presidio, where he was needed to reenforce the garrision "and the mission remained without a guard for eight days" at the very time when an attack was expected. 62 It should be kept in mind how distant and exposed this mission was to appreciate fully how unwise the order was. '°Consultta de! Govor. Juez Comisao, October 26, 1737; Cartta de dho Govor. Juez Comlsao a su Exa., same date, in Ibid., pp. 191-198. 61Fray Benito Fernandez de Santa Ana to Fray Sevillano, January 20, I 7 37. A. G. M., Misiones, vol. 21, pt. 1, pp. 175-176. "Fray Pedro de Ysasmendi to Fray Sevillano, January II, 1737 1 Ibid., pp. 17:;1-174. -
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