Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-05-26


Z settlement by John Smith, can point
to no building associated with the
founder, but the governors palace at
4 Santa Fe. New Mexico, built before
\ John Smith left England or the PHI
Brims landed on Plymouth Rock, Is
still In existence. This Is the strllc-
Z ture New MexicOs lawmakers have
z gust saved from tho possibility OF dc.
strictlon.
A resolution introduced by Speaker
& Roman L. Baca, n descendant of those
who built tho palace, provides for
turning 1t over to the United States
government as II historical memorial.
The United States has been invited
to establish school of American
archaeology in the palace.
In addition to the national scope of
the movement, II will also have u
strong state feature, for tho resolu.i
ton provides that tile Historical So
ciety OF New Mexico shall still con-
tinue to have the use of number
or rooms which are stored with I'm
portant relies and docur>ents.
The governors palace differs from
most venerable buildings in this I'M
! portant particular. IL is not simply
. pile of cold, dead, deserted stone,
interesting solely because of the past.
Even down to tho present time the
old building continues to lie the cen.
ter Of the city's life. 1t has been
tho seat Of authority for every
4 regime, from the days when New
Mexico was settled through all the
various periods. of occupation, Span
4 ash, Mexican, Pueblo or American.
IL has been q center of military and
official life. The social enjoyments
have found their climax In this grim.
looking, long, rargy building, and even
literature has been afforded haven
within It's stout walls, for whom Gen.
4 eral Lew Wallace was governor OF
New Mexico he had his office In the
governors palace, and the room in
which he wrote one of the most ia
nous products of American literature,
Ben Hur" Is proudly pointed out to
visitors.
jamestown was settled In 1907, the
Pilgrims landed, in 1920, but Santa
Fe antedntes both, fourteen and
TWENTY-FIVE years respectively. On
the 18th OF July 1898, the people of
Mexico celebrated the 30Oth anniver-
sary OF the permanent settlement OF
that territory, at Chanita.
That was under the Conquisbator
Juan de Onato, who' marched UP the
Rio Grande with a little army, and
large numbertiof immigrants from
Old Mexico.
The history of his remarkable
march, Of the exploration of the coun-
try AND the rapid subjectlon of such
Indiarf pueblos as opposed tho Span.
ishs%progress are all set forth with
= great minuteness In one of the most
. 1mnOrfnnt nnin ar al
on an American topic, tho work OF
Villagra, who was high military of.
Z ficial as well ns the poet-chronicler
OF the expedition,
A few years after hs arrival, but
still some time before the James
town settlement. Onate founded his
permanent capital at Santa Fe, which
was selected because OF the wonder
ful charm Of It's climate, and where
n small Ipdian village had formerly
existed.
ID Tho first building of any pretenslon
erected WAS the palace, which was
Z the governors official residence. and
also contained the offices OF all the
chief officials. This building covered
the entire north frontage of tho
plaza, and still presents an imposing
appearance.
Whether the ruler was called vice.
roy, captain general. politiSal chief.
department commander or governor,
and whether he presided over D., king
don,, a province, a department, No, u
territory, this has been his orfM inl
residence for three centuries.
From here Onate started on hits
expedition to the eastern
l,,,.,,aa,, mere few years later eight
l L.pllv INDIANS came from far-off
S s!!, 10 ask aid in their war with
me Ax 'ssa; from here, In 1918. Vim
Moaul country. OILY to he turned ha ,
by Grimors OF the Tianta 70 No oa ot
3countered, and from. hero pon., u
and his brilliant troop 8artG on tha
9Th OF March, 1862 on fheir', Un ,oe
Gus expedition to the Missouri" ' yer
In one of the strong Yooms ofua
palace the commissary gtqeral off ~,
tinquisilon was imprisoned fe,,
years later by the same senaIosa
within It's walls, fortified az for >
Siege, the brayest of the SpSiar,s
were massed In the revoluti& nT
1850; here, on the 18th of August ~
that year was given the-order to eS
cute forty-seven Pueblo prisoners NJ
the plaza which faced the bulldlngA
here, but q day later. was the sad
war council held which determined
) on the evacuation OF the city.
The palace was the scene of tri
umph OF the Pueblo cbieftains as they
ordered the destruction of the Span
/. ish archives and the church orna-
ments In one grand conflagration:
here De Vargas, on September Ia.
1852, after the eleven hours cont !,
of the preceding day, gave thanks III
the Virgin Mary to whose aid he at.
u fritsifad hia triiIm pbnnf oont,,ra of