Our Catliolic Heritage in Texas
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the order. He emphatically stated that the importance of Texas had never been fully realized. The unfavorable reports of officials, who did not understand the significance of this frontier outpost of Spanish power in America, had given the king and his advisors an erroneous impression, gathered from the insignificant gains made in population, the absence of revenues, and the retarded progress of the missions. It was true that in the vast province there were only three settlements and six missions still in operation, with a total of two thousand five hundred twenty-two persons in all. Many poor A lcaldf.as had a much larger population. But Texas had rich and fertile fields and large rivers capable of great development, and countless Indian nations who were potential enemies and whose friendship had to be courted and maintained. The vigilance and care of a zealous governor was indispensable to the preservation of the province. The suppression of this office might result in the loss of the province, an irreparable misfortune. The mistaken policy adopted after the visit of Rubi had resulted in the abandonment of Los Adaes, the mission of the Arkokisas on the Gulf coast, and of Nacogdoches, Ugalde pointed out. Fortunately this last outpost, located more than one hundred fifty miles from San Antonio, had been reoccupied and was precariously held by a group of determined settlers. But the abandonment of La Bahia and Nacogdoches itself was again being advocated and there was added now the suppression of the governorship, the reduction of the occupied area to San Antonio and its placement under the protection of a presidia} company and one captain. Carrying out these recommendations would be equivalent to the abandon- ment of the entire province. Instead of this short-sighted policy, La Bahia and Nacogdoches should be reenforced, the mission for the Arko- kisas reestablished, San Antonio fortified, and the settlement of the entire province encouraged. With surprising foresight, Ugalde declared that the military impor- tance of the Provinces of Sonora, Nueva Vizcaya, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon, and Santander was insignificant as compared to that of Texas. Here were more Indian nations than in the other four. Texas was more exposed to foreign aggression and its natives were more amenable to the influence of foreign agents. The cultivation of peace with the Comanches, the Taovayas, and all the other northern tribes was more important now than ever. For this, if for no other reason, the governorship should not be suppressed. There were four governors in the commandancy-general of the East. If any was to be suppressed, it should be the least important,
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