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Last Attempts at Missionary Control of Indians
When Nava was informed of the new request, he replied that the proposal was unacceptable, because it involved too much expense. Accord- ing to the report of the Indians making the request, there were only twenty men, twenty-two women, and forty-eight children. To assure their protection, they were asking for a garrison of fifty men and two missionaries. The expense that this would involve was not justified by the reduction of only ninety persons to mission life. 61 On July 22, a group of the Ais came to San Antonio with Leal. With them came some Bidais also. They were asked to remain and were promised lands and spiritual care. They replied they did not want to be so far from their former home. They said that if a mission could not be founded for them on the Trinity, they would be willing to come as far as the Brazos. All efforts to persuade them to come to stay in San Antonio proved futile and the band left the following day. When Nava was informed of the visit, he replied that it was impossible to grant_ the request. 62 The grandiose plan of Fray Jose Alberola. Puzzled officials both in New Spain and Spain were still worrying about the solution of the Indian problem in the remote frontier provinces of Texas and New Mexico. It was becoming more urgent than ever to solve the problems in these two provinces if foreign infiltration was to be checked. An unknown friar of the College of Zacatecas named Jose Alberola sub- mitted a plan at this critical moment which sounded practical and promised a solution. He boldly asserted that he was ready to convert and civilize all the Indians of the north without expense to the royal treasury. He declared that for years he had been studying the methods employed by other European nations for the control of the Indian tribes within their possessions in America, and had noted how, in spite of similar difficulties, they had succeeded where the Spaniards had failed. It was imperative, he said, to view the situation realistically, to awaken to the facts, and to adopt a change in policy. Still speaking in generalities, Alberola went on to state that he pro- posed to use no soldiers in his plan, that he was going to depend entirely on the strength of the Gospel, the binding ties of genuine friendship, the compelling force of love and kindness. Patience and understanding would replace harshness. He would establish large cattle
61 Pedro Nava to Manuel Munoz, July 15, 1795. Bexar Arc/rives. 6 ZPedro Nava to Manuel Munoz, August 26, 1795. Bexar Arc/rfoes.
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