Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-12-20
(By George A. Schreiner.)

NpS wv
San Antonio, Tex, Dec. 16.-The
spanish settlements in southwest Tex
nc were missions and prcsidios. The
claim. so often made, that the Span
isb endeavored to eivilize the Indian
for his own sake is rather extrava-
cant when all is considered. We see
IN the case of southwest Texas hat no
missions were established until the
French began to seriously encroach
upon the territory of CASTLE, il, in
deed. the New Philippines or New
rstramadura could be called this.
france had already adopted n no.
tions In international law and claimed
that discovery and settlement consti-
tinted a sounder claim to a territory
than did the bull of Pope Alexander,
an arbitrary instrument based on
neither reason nor logic. But the
Spanish did not make settlements for
the purpose of meeting the French
claim morally: their settlements We're
of an entirely military. nature, For
this reason we meet the preside
wherever we meet a mission, soldiers
wherever there are monks.
1t would be unfair to say, however,
that there were among the friars not
those who were really active in the
cause of civilization. Father Marat,
in 1712, tells us that "it was necessary
first to transform these Indians into
men, and afterwards to labor to make
them Christians" The words of the
worthy friar are q little too ambiguous
TO permit us to know exactly what he
meant. But they throw "A very illum-
mating light on n point, and that is,
that the Indian had to labor in order
to become a Christian. The fields
around the missions We're titled by the
Yndios Reducidos to feed the soldiers
who were to ward off both the Yndios
Braves and the French.
CASTLE operated rich gold and sill
yer mines in northern New Spain, that
is Mexico, and for years had thought
the desert north of tho Rio Bravo
del Norte, the Rio Grandc of today,
TO be an effective barrier against in
trusion. But the French had shown
that the three-fold terrors OF the New
Philippines meant nothing to them.
other methods had to be employed,
therefore. Marquis de Laguna and
Count Montclava, viceroys of Mexico,
had heard of the attempt of the
French to settle in Texas, and the lat
ter sent Captain Alonzo de Leon to
establish the truth of the rumor. This
officer located Fort ST. Louis, quilt by
La Sale, in 1856, found two of the
assassins of that great explorer, and
n 1fttla ,+hiIa OFT aru+a VII, ,nnla n 1at-
tlement in its vicinity. But this eff
fort at settlement was short lived. and
In 1898 the few missions founded had
been abandoned. Failure of crops and
the unwillingness on h part Of the
Indians to be converted and made to
work, proved too much for the Span
iards' zeal for colonization.
To Anthony Crozot, a captain OF in
dustry of his time, Louis XIV, in
17l4, granted all Louisiana, for the
purpose of commercial explointation.
Crozot had Cadillac appointed gov
ernor and the latter sent Hucherau
st. Denis. a young and daring French
Canadian, to penetrate the wilderness
of Texas with a view OF opening com
munication with northern Mexico and
~ iONdtC ooiit Eplu anu SllNtl llilltS. :
The very romantic story IF this young
man will be told in some other chap
ter, and II suffices for the time being
to state that he made the first settle
ment on the spot on which now stands
the metropolis OF Texas, San Antonio.
This was in 1715. st. Denis reached
Mexico nj scared the Spanish into
Wholesale colonization. During the
next few years a large number of mis-
sions were established. Before nam
ing them it may be well to note what
these missions were like.
Many of them are today in an ex-
cellent state of preservation. The
ground plan of all of them was a
large quadrangle. The outer wall of
the buildings had no windows and !
only a few strong doorways, and for
this reason was easily defended.
Around the enclosure formed were
thus grouped the buildings of the mis-
slons. These consisted of the cells of
the friars and the catechumens, kitch-
ems, refectories, granaries, here and \
there stables, rooms for the In
dlan laborers. sometimes apartments
used by the soldiers and various store
rooms. In the center of the wall.
usually facing south. was located the
chapel, which in most cases enjoyed
many architectural distinctions over
Inc rest of the structure. Elaborate
window and doorways were provided.
A tower or two lent to the whole a
pleasing aspect. But more of this will
De said in the individual description
OF several of the best missions. Stone
ana adobe were the materials OF on
struction.
The missions founded by the Span
lNh friars were these: Nuestro Sonora
Del Pillar, 1715, founded by De Alar-
eohne. Did not prosper and was rams
ierfed TO San Antonio.
Nuestro sonora de Los Dolores, |
Nv founded by the Duke of Valero.
vas also transferred to san Antonio. .
me Alamo (San Antonio dc Va (.
,srol' l1l6, founded by the Duke of
'alero on the Rio Grande and later
vi transferred to a Antonio. :
conception In puriSsima de Aruna.