Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1890-06-21
THE SIEGE OF SANTA FE
By the Insurgent Indians of the Pueb-
los in the Year 1880,
Specially prepared for the New Mexican
BY PROF. F. A. BANDELiER,
Member American Archaeological Institut

insurrection. A narrative OF the events
OF that siege should be preceded by q
glance at the causes of the Indian out
break as well as at the occurrences inn
mediately preceding the onslaught, which
the natives made upon the capital OF the
Kingdom OF New Mexico"
From numerous dispositions. OF Indians
as we'll as OF Spaniards, taken in the
years 1850 and 1851 it results that already
during the time of Juan de Onate, there
was
DISSATISFACTION AMONG THE PUEBLO
Indians. The cause of it was the intro
duction of Christianity, and the conse-
quent prohibition of rites and ceremonies
that were utterly incompatible with civili-
zaton and progress. Certain dances, the
object OF which was msnifestly and gross
ly idolatrous, were prohibited. Regular
marriage was introduced, and the organ
lied concubinage prevailing during primi-
tive times was strongly deprecated. A
clash was inevitable between two rules
of life so distinct and antagonistic as In
dian fetichism and Christian faith.
wITCHCRAFT FORMS THE BASIS
of Indian religion, its rites and cet emonies.
The Pueblo, looking upon Christianity as
another species OF magic, and expecting
from it, above all, better crops, plentiful
rain, and security from enemies, was
soon disappointed in his expectations.
1t was impossible to make him compre-
hend at once that the Christian religion
had another, higher scope, and that its
effects would be felt first by the inner
man, and that only afterward (by raising
that man to higher level of morality
and intelleCtualitv) would exterior bene-
fits accrue to him. To oppose brutal
force to the endeavors of the missionaries
ne did not venture, but he opposed his
own magic to what he regarded as theirs.
and resorted to poison and witchcraft.
1t is known that the belief in witches
was universal at the time. With the In
dian, poison and witchcraft 90 hand in
hand.
THE OPPOSITION TO CHRISTIANITY
was most violent on the part of the
wizards or medicine men, and displayed
itself in every direction. The school was
as hateful to the Indian as the church,
even more so. In the former, pupils
were taught arts for which the native
saw no necessity whatever for him ;
whereas these arts enabled the Whites
to WELD u great power. Reading and
writing appeared to the pueblo Indians
AS occult and dangerous as the most pow
, eriul war medicine OF the Apacles. 10
the strenuous efforts made to educate the
native that native opposed q stolld i'm
passveness in the main, secret crimes in
special instances. Even to-day, it is dif-
ticult to teach the native the arts of civili-
zation, and yet the present age profits,
in regard TO Indian education, of the
efforts and sacrifices of three centuries.
THE INDIANS ALSO COMPLAINED
of vexations and abuses committed by the
civil and military authorities. The
laws OF Spain, the numberless
decrees of the crown issued in behalf Of
the Indian, are admirable specimens of
humane sentiments and practical wisdom.
But the execution of such laws and de-
crees suffered almost in direct proportion
to the distance from the mother country
at which they had to be executed. New
Mexico was very small colony, military
outpost rather, than settlement, and the
governors did very much as they pleased.
Tribute was exacted from the Indians,
and that tribute was inconsiderable. One
cotton mantle and one fanega of corn per
| family formed the annual contribution.
But the manner in which that tribute was
collected, and especially the manner in
which the DEGREES regulating personal
service of the aborigines were interpreted,
varied according to the character of the
governor. That several of these behaved
in an outrageous manner can not be de-
MED. We name here: Don Francisco
Martinez de Baezs 1855 to 1872 Luis
de Guzman y Figueroa (1647,) and Ber-
nardo de Mendizsbal (1660). On the
other hand, no complaints can be made
against Don Bernardino de Ceballos, Don
Francisco de Sylvia Nieto (l629,) Herman
do de Ugarte y la Concha 1650,) and
many others.
THE soLDIERY DISPATCHED
to New Mexico was also of the rudest sort,
many Of them outlaws, and more than
one subatern officer was far from being
angelic. punishment of such men WAS
of comparatively small profit for the az
grieved party, still We can not overlook
the fact that there are many evidences OF
rigid chastisement of governors as we'll as
inferior dignitaries, for their misconduct
toward the aborigines. The number Of
governors for instance, who returned to
Mexico as prisoners is significative, and
as to minor officers, we only recall here
the severe punishment of Juan Domin-
guez de Mendoza for cruelty to some
Apaches. The most effective check op-
posed to abuse of civil and military au-
thority was bv the church, and soon
A BITTER CONFLICT AROSE
between the ecclesiastic and temporal
powers. The result of this conflict was,
to dlscredit both in the eyes of the abort
gine.
Another, and still more potent reason,
for the aborgine, to lose faith in the new
regime was the failure, on the part of the
Spaniard, to subdue the wild tribes " hich,
for centuries past, had been harrassing
and worrying the Pueblos. 1t is un-
true that the Spaniards provoked
the Apaches and Navajos to vio-
ence. Every effort was made, on the
contrary, to maintain peace with them,
and they we're approached in the friendi-
est manner. The Apaches were not dis
inclined to accept the friendship OF the
whites, whose armament they feared at
! first, but they wonld not give up their ira
ditional hostility toward the Pueblos. Or
(as was the case with the Navajos in 1926
about, when the latter promised to make
friends with the Tehuas at Santa Clara,
they would consent to respect one group,
while continuing to prey mercilessly upon
another. To such a state of things the
Spaniards could not agree. They had re.