Ottr Catholic If eritage in Texas
among the first things needed were two hundred new settlers and fifty soldiers for a presidio. In a letter to the .viceroy, written on October 20, Otermin emphasized the importance of making provision for the estab- lishment of a presidio at El Paso. He pointed out that the failure to offer adequate protection to this important site at this time would jeopardize the existence not only of the flourishing Mission of Guadalupe, which had about two thousand souls under its care, but that of the neigh- boring Missions of San Francisco and La Soledad de Janos, which were now in good condition. The failure of these establishments, which would certainly fall victims to the barbarous Incl ians of the north, if left unprotected, would expose the conversions of Casas Grandes, Carretas, and other settlements in their neighborhood to the same fate. This would in turn endanger the safe and tranquil communication between Parral and Sonora. The erection of a presidio at El Paso, therefore, he con- cluded, was indispensable, for with New Mexico lost, these frontier outposts could not exist without the protection of a garrison of thirty or forty men. 27 The reasons so ably presented by the governor were forcefully sustained by Father Ayeta, who went to Mexico in person to secure the needed help for the refugees and the approval of the proposed presidio. His arguments seem to have convinced the Fiscal of the importance of estab- lishing a presidio as suggested. In his recommendations made on January 7, 1681, he approved the request and advised the erection of a presidio at El Paso with a garrison of fifty paid soldiers, whose main duty was to protect the three missions in that region. In founding the: presidio he recommended that careful judgment should be exercised in the selection of its site and the arrangement of the missions and .settlement in order that these might be adequately grouped together to insure the greatest security possible from the proposed garrison. The new presidio and pueblo were to be regarded as the seat of government for the jurisdiction of New Mexico. 21 Thus El Paso was to become the temporary capital of the abandoned province. Approval of tlee ,proposed ,Presidio. The whole matter was then referred to a general council, which met on January I 7. After considering all 27Letter of Otennin to the Viceroy, October 20, 1680, in Autos Tocante.r, A.G. M., Provincia.r lnterna.r, Vol. 37, ff. IOI. 2&Dictamen Fi.real, January 7, 1681, in Atlto.r Tocante.r, A. G. M., Provincia.r lnternas, Vol. 37, f. 90.
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