The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 15, July 1911 - April, 1912 Page: 195
382 p. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Missionaries Among the Apaches 195
the soldiers for their support. To remove the presidio would be
to destroy the only source of revenue possessed by the settlement.
Secondly, although the Apaches in the Pedernales region might
be held in check by the removal of the presidio, San Antonio
would be left exposed to the ravages of the Julimes, Natag6s, and
other hostile Indians from the Rio Grande country.' Having thus
given his reasons for opposing Santa Ana's plan, Father Dolores
now requested that the missionaries should be excused from at-
tending the junta. His ostensible objection was the loss of pres-
tige and dignity which he believed would result to the priests from
association with the citizens on a plane of equality; but he prob-
ably feared also an adverse report upon the whole question of
Apache missions, and did not wish to lend the weight of the mis-
sionaries' presence to a hostile popular assembly. Even if the
priests should attend the meeting, he said, their judgment would
undoubtedly be overruled by the prejudiced votes of the vulgar
majority, and if evil results ensued the priests would receive just
as much condemnation as those really responsible for the unwise
action. Important matters, he believed, should be deliberated
upon by wise and experienced men, and not by the common rabble.
In his judgment, the council was entirely unnecessary. Since the
principal issue to be decided was the advisability of removing the
presidio, it would only be necessary to make a general muster of
the forces and weapons available for the defense of the town in
order to convince the viceroy that such a step would be the great-
est folly.2
In spite of Father Dolores's efforts to have the order for the
junta revoked, the meeting was held upon the day set, and his
suggestion for a muster of the defenses was disregarded.3 Not
only was the general opinion of the council strongly opposed to
the removal of the presidio, but, just as Father Dolores had fore-
seen, it protested against any plan to found a mission for the
Apaches in their own country. Instead, it was asserted that it
would be more advisable to locate a mission nearer San Antonio,
although, as the priest said, those who urged this step knew that
1Dolores to Urrutia, Exorto del Capn, 2-4.
'Ibid., 2-14.
'Memorial presentado por el R. P. Presidte., Sept. 17, 1750, 1-2.
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Texas State Historical Association. The Quarterly of the Texas State Historical Association, Volume 15, July 1911 - April, 1912, periodical, 1912; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101056/m1/200/: accessed May 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.