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Last Attempts at Missionary Control of Indians
want to live in pueblos or receive instruction in the faith. 55 One can imagine the pain which such a confession must have caused the old and disillusioned missionary. The final epitaph of the Orcoquisac venture was written in 1792 by the new commandant general, Ramon de Castro. When asked again by the viceroy what the prospects were, he replied that the enterprise should be dropped in view of the indifference of the natives which reflected their loss of interest in mission life. 56 The mission as a frontier insti- tution capable of coping with the conditions that now existed in Texas was being fatally discredited. It was not the agency for controlling such Indian tribes as it had to deal with on the northeastern frontier of New Spain. It had not been designed for that purpose, nor could it be adjusted to meet the new situation without considerable military aid. The real attitude of the Indians of the north in regard to the mission system was clearly and emphatically stated by Governor Munoz in 1795, in response to a new inquiry made in connection with the request of Father Silva for additional funds to extend the missionary activities of Mission Refugio to other tribes along the coast and to the northern Indians themselves. He declared that the northern nations were not inclined to mission life; that if they ever sought the security of the missions and agreed to recognize their authority, they would have to be driven to it by the cruelty and superior numbers of their enemies. With remarkable insight, he assured the commandant general that these proud Indians would be compelled to seek refuge in the missions and the Spanish presidios, however, when the Americans penetrated their lands and forced them to retreat before their resistless advance, as the Ais were even now being forced by the Talapousas and the Alabamas. 51 Tlee Ais Indians seek ref1'ge in S,panisli settlements. The Ais and the Bidais, who for more than a century had lived in the vicinity of Los Adaes and Natchitoches, found themselves hard-pushed by the Talapousas and Alabamas at the close of the century. Antonio Leal, Spanish agent in Natchitoches, reported to Governor Munoz in January, 1795, that a group of ninety Ais had journeyed with him from Natchi- toches to the Trinity River and had asked him to request permission to SSManuel Munoz to Revillagigedo, February 9, 1791. A. G. ill., Historia, Vol. 93, pp. 54-55. 56 Ram6n de Castro to Revillagigedo, May 15, 1792. A.G. M., Historia, Vol. 93, pp. 71·79, 51 Manuel Munoz to Pedro Nava, January 26, 1795. Bexar Arc/rives.
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