The Organization of Mission Life, I722-I728
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happened that this mission was in charge of the College of Zacatecas. Captain Flores could, and probably did, cooperate fully with the Padres in charge of Mission San Jose, while failing to give as much help to those of San Antonio de Valero. Keeping these facts in mind, then, we may conclude that the various religious testifiers in the case told the truth so far as it concerned their respective missions, but they committed the serious error of making their statements general instead of specific. This explains to a certain extent the contradictory nature of their evidence. Father Conzalez recalled and Captain Flores reinstated. Be that as it may, the viceroy turned over the whole matter to the Auditor for his consideration and opinion. On May 26, 1725, after having studied all the testimony in the case, he recommended to the viceroy that the Guardian of the College of Queretaro should be requested to remove Father Jose Gonzalez from San Antonio, replacing him by a more prudent and peaceful missionary for the sake of harmony. In regard to Captain Flores, he advised that in view of the statements made by the Marquis of Aguayo in his favor and the other testimonials he had presented, His Excellency should order that he be restored to his former command and that Mateo Perez should return to San Juan Bautista on the Rio Grande to his post as a soldier of that presidio. Perez was to be reim- bursed for all expenses incurred by him in going and coming to and from San Antonio. The recommendations were approved by the viceroy on June 2, when the corresponding orders were issued. 55 This lamentable incident was to have far-reaching effects. Many of the accusations and supposed evils presented and described by Father Gonzalez were to prejudice certain Spanish officials, and these same charges were brought up within five years in justification of the radical curtailment of mis- sionary endeavors in Texas. Progress niade in niissions and presidios. In spite of the dire needs experienced by the soldiers and missionaries of the various establishments during these early times, steady progress was made in laying the founda- tions for the firm and permanent occupation of Texas. In was during these truly trying years that the temporary and flimsy structures built in the first entradas were replaced by more substantial buildings, that the locations of the missions and the presidios were more carefully selected, and that both civil and missionary life slowly became organized. Contrary 55 0pini6n de Don Juan Olivan Rebolledo, Auditor General de Guerra, May 26. .A. G. N., Vol. 32, Part 2, 1725-1731.
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