New-York tribune., 1894-01-07
A CURIOUS CAPITAL.
WHERE NEw-MEXICO WANTS TO INSTALL
STATE GOVERNMENT

WITH THE FORTt MES OF NEW MEXICO.
Santa Fe. y. NJ, Jan. l (speclaD.-The Territory
| OF New Mexico. which expects become a
State has the most curious and ancient capital in
the Union. Santa Fe. where the executive man.
sion and the residences OF the Governor and officials
are mud houses. In one of these called the Palace.
during orty-three years of Territorial regime
ernment has been administered. and 1t Is probable
that the first State Governor will be installed In
the ancient building In 1t have ruled seven
teen American governors and seventy-six Spanish
and Mexican viceroys. chieftains and military pro-
consuls In unbroken succession for 2s5 years II
was built a Spanish vceroy's palace In 1885, be-
! fore the first cabin erected at Jamestown
| plymouth. or New-Amsterdam. For three centuries
II has been the active centre of everything of his
toric importance in the southwest and the seat OF
government while the territory now comprised by
New Mexico shifted from a Spanish province to
! Pueblo Indian kingdom. reverted to a province
passed into a military department thence into a
! Territory Of the United States.
! This palace In the seventeenth century was the
stronghold OF tho Church and in its dark room the
inauisitorial monks of St Francis extorted offer
ings and confessions Within Its walls, fortified for
siege. the Spanish troops were massed In 1850 dur
ing the Pueblo Indian nsurrecon, and here. on the
10Th OF August Of that year. was given the order
that executed forty-seven Pueblo Indian prisoners
in the Plaza opposite the building In one Of its
gloomy rooms a day later the war council that
decided evacuate tine city. The next day saw
another scene-Pueblo Indians swarming through
1t and destroying the Spanish archives While
they held possession they built another story upon
It and CLOSED up the ground entrances to make 1t
conform their pueblos and their idea OF safety,
! and entered by ladders through the top. When DE
Vargas September II. 1852. after eleven hours
combat ascended from the surrounding hills and
, rcasserted Spanish rule he removed this offensive
upper story. and has wing or wall since been
added. More than century later, In lD. l.'eut"n-
- he m el Government
plorer was brought before Governor Alancaster as
an invader Spanish soil. From this time Incl
dents began cluster thlckly about the palace
, The Mexican standard OF eagle ana cactus was
borne through the plaza and placed In the hall In
lS22 10 signify that New-MeXico was no longer
dependency of Spain To maintain this supremacy
Governor Perez started on August :. 1881, from 1t to
uuell th. nstrreciOn in the north, and was killed
two days after. Jose Gonzales. a Pueblo Indian of
Taos was next installed as Governor, ana was al
most Immediately assassinated by Armjo. VINO
succeeded him. 1t this dcspot who. on August
l.. 1876 returned to the United states Government
message OF defiance through Captain Cook. it's
envoy who had been sent To treat for peace Five
days later General Kearny formally took pos
session Of the city In the name OF the nited states.
and after his long and weary march slept on the
carpci.l carh"n floor Of the palace. Gained thus
~ a coniraband Of war 1t became headquarters
for the military and civil officers. and in 1850 the
mansion ~ the first appointed United States Gov
ernor when New Mexico organized as a
Federal Territory
General Lew Wallace while Governor from 1873 10
ss wrote 'Bcn- IiIr' In OF the rear rooms. fac
ing a bare graycy court While J.. H. Prince was
Governor under Mr. Harrison's Administration until
April = 1919. the gay lie Of Spanish days was re-
viyci In the musiy old palace. 70 the State recep-
tons came ;hc officers from Fort Marcy In gold lace
uniforms and with the Territorial officers and their
wives gave metropolitan form when Spanish
s.Aoras whose black locks were ornamented with
silver AMI gold nlagrec. ard mus,ached and whis-
I.r,I scnorcs with frlei shirt fronts. lent the air
OF Il South American court The relies and trap
pings of hundreds years seemed To- have been ex-
huincd and gathered here to brighten the Illusion
ON the walls hung ekskn paintings Of the saints.
which the Spanish soldiers copied from the images
ln toe churches and carried banners In their
marches of conquest with tho rents made by sabres
and Bcs.d" them was rawhde shield
with the coiorcd cmblem~ OF the crown Of CASTLE,
and copper hreasplate with "A bullet hole through
l;. Icncn'h them pair Of steel stirrups. over
d foot long. that would have behttrd the most g!-
ganric couquistadore \ wicker candriabra brought
from Spain threw soft Hight on the t"rra-cotta-
tinted walls and the ancient stucco-panted images
~ the saints with grotc-que outlines. and upon the
floors bright with the modern rugs ~ native Navajo
Indian and Mexican looms In mud cement fire.
places hlaz"l thr upright plnon sticks with fra
grant mountain campfire odor. Ia and cabi-
and utensils Of long dcposed Indian \ table
made Of pure gold and silver and precious stones
stood in III. centre OF the reccption-room modern
treasure such as the oil Spanish hearts longed for.
In bookcases was the literature OF concerning
THIS new GrannIa- -Humhoidts New Spain" Pres
coti's conquest of Mexico" Co2Gen's The Mar
vcllous country" Lieutenant Il. VI. pixies "Ex
rlorI;ions." Il History of the WoTli' in Latin,
published in ia1 containing startling pictures OF the
inhabitants OF The New World. military commits
aiOn - spanish conquistadore. with the auto
graph Of Ferdinand. while a History Of Mexico by
l.. i. Prince. IN modest size and binding showed
tho purpose these works have served \ panel CON
talnci the portrait Of this man. who has so thor
oushy Identified himself with the history life and
interests Of the Territory.
Mr. Prince. at the age Of thrty-nine. in 1879 left
New-York. where for seven years he had been
member OF the State Assembly from Queens County
lie had appointments rendered TO him by
President Iinyes-thc Govcrnorshp OF Idaho and
chief Jusilccahip Of New-lIeXico-and consd
erlng which 20 accept when he CHANGED upon Gov
ornment geographical report. .aving colored en-
craving of Old pueblo In New Mexico which
coincIed with his taste for historic study and made
his decision Ii was during his tenure Of Office as
chief Justice that he visited Indian pueblo villages
c.in dwellings. Mexican settlements in the. remote
parts Of the Territory. pored over Spanish archives
and evolved his history. 80 imbucd with the great
ness of its past the material resources and outlook
Of the Territory, that years ago he cspoused the
cause Of Statehood for New-Mcxico. and in every
annual report while Governor. IL, has always held
that New Mexico is really Republican; that only
peculiar circumstances have enabled a Democratic |
Delegate 10 Congress TO be retained for seven years
He was one Of the six men delegated to the last !
regular session of Congress- who made Il canvass |
Of the Senators and Representatives. and paved the
way for the present Statehood bill. When his term
OF office expired last spring. the wealth OF curlos
w,s removed 10 his private rcsidclcc. leaving the |
rooms of the palace dingy and bare. For the first
time in the palaces tr-cenennlal existence the
ruler OF the Territory is not domiced there Only
a few rooms ARE occupied by the present Governor
and secretary as business offices. while In one end
is the Historical Soccty's collection. and AT the
other The postoficc.
The new Governor. W. /. Thornton. declared he /
would not be bounden by precedent TO endanger the