Our Catholic Heritage in Texas
24
S,panis/i officials aware of Frencli designs. The Spanish officials were well aware of this fact. When St. Denis made his declarations in Mexico, the Fiscal was not in the least convinced by the apparently guileless state- ments. There were too many discrepancies. It may be lightly thought that the French fooled the Spaniards on inore than one occasion. This impression is unfounded. It was not because the Spaniards did not under- stand or realize the true import and intentions of the French that they did not stop their activities or take more aggressive measures. It was that they were powerless to act; first, because the king did not give them the authorization, not even the moral support they deserved for their zeal in protecting his royal interests; and second, because they did not have the resources nor the man power to put into effect a more decisive policy. Take, for example, the summary of the Texas situation made by the Fiscal, Doctor Velasco, in Mexico City, on November 30, 1716. After giving a long and detailed resume of everything that had taken place since 1689, he draws up his conclusions and analyzes the reasons for the occupation of Texas, revealing with amazing clearness that he under- stood the motives for the activity of the French and the character of St. Denis. "Today," he declares, "in addition to the primary purpose for the establishment of the missions, which is the conversion and civilization of the Tejas Indians, there exists a second and very important one of a temporal nature, the need for the friendship and good will of these Ii:tdians, who are under the jurisdiction of His Majesty, in order that with their aid the extent of the French conquest may be ascertained. The estab- lishment of a presidio [in their midst] will serve as a defence for the province, it will impede the incursions of the French from Mobile and Canada, and it will be a point of observation which will enable us to learn their intentions in time to check their advance. Should we fail to take these steps, the French doubtless will extend their influence from N atchi- toches to Coahuila and introduce their merchandise from that post into the Province of Texas, having already explored the country and being well acquainted with it as far as the Rio Grande del Norte." He then goes on to state that a quantity of goods had been introduced at various times from Mobile, where, according to St. Denis' statement there were at this time more than two millions' worth of cloth and other goods. The Fiscal wisely observed that the distance from Mobile to Texas is only two hundred eighty leagues over the all-land route; that the country abounds with wild fruits and game, all of which make the cost of trans-
Powered by FlippingBook