The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-04-26

a.
dated at Mexico, 9th December, 1898, gives the
following account Of the number, time of establish
ment, and locality of the missions existing in New
California at that time
Missions. Situation. When founded.
!. San Diego dc Alcala lat. 32o4z July l6, 1868
2. San Carlos de Monte
rey. y.., SO 80 June 3, ITO
3. San Antonio de Padua 36 "a July Ia, It'll
4. San Gabriel de los
8. San Luis obispo -. 81 IS Sept. i, l772
o. San Francisco, (Do-
lores,). )............ 81 So Oct. 9, lT76
T. San Juan Capistrano. 80 80 Nov. !, l776
s. Santa Clara. ........ 81 90 Jan. Is, l777
g. San Buenaventura.. "a So Mar. 81, 1882
l0. Santa Barbara. ...... "a rs Oct. a, 1850
IL. Purisima Conception 35 32 Jan. s, l7S7
IL. Santa Cruz .......... 80 5S Aug 70, lI9l
l3. La Soledad. ........ 36 3S Oct. 8, 1871
At first, the missions nominally occupied the
whole territory, except the four small military
posts of San Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and
San Francisco; that is, the limits of one mission
were said to cover the intervening space to the
limits of the next; and there were no other occu-
pants except the wild Indians, whose reduction and
conversion the object of the establishments. The
Indians, as fast as they were reduced were trained
to labor in the missions, and lived either within its
walls, or in small villages near by, under the
spiritual and temporal direction of the priests but
the whole under the political control of the COVER
nor OF the province, who decided contested ques-
tions of right or policy, whether between different
missions, between missions and individuals, or
concerning the Indians. Soon, however, grants OF
land began to be made to individuals, especially
to retired soldiers who received special favor in the
distant colonies Of Spain, and became the settlers
and founders of the country they had reduced and
protected. Some settlers were also brought from
the neighboring provinces of Sonora and Sinaloa,
and the towns of San Jose, at the head of the Bay
of San Francisco and Of Los angeles, eight leagues
from the port of San Pedro, were early founded.
The governor exercised the privilege of making
concessions of large tracts and the captains Of the
presidios authorized to grant building lots,
small gardens
distance of two leagues from the presidios. By
these means the mission tracts began respectively
to have something like known boundaries; though
the lands they thus occupied were still not viewed,
in any light as the property Of the missionaries,
but the domain of the crown, appropriated to the
use of the missions while the state Of the country
| authority
1t was the custom throughout New Spain, (and
other parts of the Spanish colonies also,) TO secu
larize, or to subvert, the mission establishments a
the discretion of the ruling political functonary;
and this not act of arbitrary power, but in the
exercise of an acknowledged ownership and au-
thority. The great establishments of Sonora, have
been told, were divided between white settlements
and settlements of the Indian pupils, neophytes of
the establishments. In Texas the missions were
broken up, the Indians were dispersed and the lands
have been granted to white settlers. In New Mex
leo, am led to suppose, the Indian pupils of the
MISSIONS their descendants, still, in great part,
occupy the old establishments; and other parts are
occupied by white settlers, In virtue Of grants and
4
over all the mission establishments, and whatever
| property pertinent TO them, is certain.
The liability OF the missions Of Upper California
however, to be thus dealt with, at the pleasure o
| the Government, docs not rest only on the argu-
| ment to be drawn from this constant and uniform
practice. II was inherent in their foundations
condition of their establishment. belief has pre-
vailed, and it is stated in all the works have
amned which treat historically of the missions OF
that country that the first act which looked TO their
secularzation, and especially the first act by which
any authority conferred on the local govern
ment for that purpose, over their temporalities,
was an act of the Mexican Congress Of 18th August,
1 1888. Such, however was not the case. Their
| secularzation-their subversion-was looked for in
/ their foundation; and do not perceive that the
local authority Certainly not the supreme author
ity) has been without that lawful jurisdiction
over them, unless subsequent TO the colonization
\ regulations of 2lst November, 1928, which tempo
| rarily exempted mission lands from colonization.
/ quote from letter of constructions 10 the COM
! mandant Of the establishments of San Diego
and Monterey" given by Viceroy Bucareli, 18th
August, 1913:
cart. I5. When II shall happen that a mission il
| 10 be formed into pueblo, (or village,) the COM
mandant will proceed TO reduce IL 10 the civil and
| economical government, which, according to the
laws, is observed by other villages of this kingdom;
then giving il name, and declaring for its patron
| the saint under whose memory and protection the
| mission was founded" (Cuando lleguc el caso de
que haya de formarse en- ell pueblo una mission, pro-
| cedera el commandsntea reduciro al gobierno civil
\
| mas de este rcyno poniendole nombre entonccs,
declarandole por titular ell santo bajo cuya me-
moria venerable protection sc funds la mission. }
The right, then, 70 remodel these establishments
| at pleasure and convert them into towns and viii
lagos, subject TO the known policy and laws which
governed settlements of that description,t we see
| was principle Of their foundation. Articles and
10, Of the letter Of Instructions show us also
that IL was part Of the plan OF the missions that
their condition should be thus changed; that they
we're regarded only as the bases OF com
munities 10 be thereafter emancipated, acquire pro-
prictary rights, and administer their own affairs;
and that il the duty of the governor 10 choose
their sites and direct the construction and arrange
ment Of their edihces, with view 70 their conve-
| nient expansion into towns and cities. And not
/ only was this general revolution of the establish
1 meits thus early contemplated and provided for,
but meantime the governor had authority 10 reduce
their possessions by grants within and without and
| to change their condition by detail. The same
series OF instructions authorized the governor to
grant lands, either in community or individually, TO
the Indians the missions, in and about their settle
ments the mission lands; and also to make grants
10 settlements OF white persons. The governor was
likewise authorized at an early day to make grants
| TO soldiers who should marry Indian women trained
in the missions; and the fret grant Sand only one
found Of record) under this authorization was OF
a tract near the mission edihce OF Carmel, near
Monterey. The authorization given TO the cap
tans Of presidios TO grant lands within two leagues
OF their posts expressly restrans them within that
distance so as to leave the territory ybeyond-though
all beyond was nominally attached 70 one or the
other Of the missionsat the disposition Of the
perior guardians Of the royal property In brief,
every fact, every act Of government, and principle
Since writing the above, have learned from
| the Hon. Mr. Smith, delegate from the Territory OF
New Mexico, that the portion Of each Of the former
mission establishments which has been allotted 10
| the Indians is one league square. They hold the
land, as a general rule, in community, and on con
dition Of supporting priest and maintaining di-
vine worship. This portion and these conditions
are conformabe 10 the principles Of the Spanish
laws concerning the allotments Of Indian villages.
Some interesting particulars OF the foundation, pro-
| gress and plan Of the missions Of New Mexico are
contained in the report, or information, before
quoted, of 1893, from the Yiceroy to the King OF
Spain, and in extracts from given in the papers
accompanying this report.
tArevolution more than equal TO the.modcrn secu-
iortxafion, since the latter only necessarily implies
the turning over OF the temporal concerns OF the
mission to secular administration. Their conver-
sion into pueblos would take from the missions all
sembance in organization TO their originals, and
include the reduction Of the missionary priests from
the heads of great establishments, and administra
| tors Of large temporalitice to narish curatee: