To Protect The Jesuits In Their Missions, And At The Same Time
To Support The Power Of The Crown Over The Civilized Indians, Two
Forts Were Erected And Garrisoned, One At San Diego, And The Other
At Monterey.
These were called Presidios, and divided the command of
the whole country between them.
Presidios have since been established
at Santa Barbara and San Francisco; thus dividing the country into
four large districts, each with its presidio, and governed by the
commandant. The soldiers, for the most part, married civilized
Indians; and thus, in the vicinity of each presidio, sprung up,
gradually, small towns. In the course of time, vessels began to
come into the ports to trade with the missions, and received hides
in return; and thus began the great trade of California. Nearly all
the cattle in the country belonged to the missions, and they employed
their Indians, who became, in fact, their slaves, in tending their
vast herds. In the year 1793, when Vancouver visited San Diego,
the mission had obtained great wealth and power, and are accused of
having depreciated the country with the sovereign, that they might
be allowed to retain their possessions. On the expulsion of the
Jesuits from the Spanish dominions, the missions passed into the
hands of the Franciscans, though without any essential change in
their management. Ever since the independence of Mexico, the missions
have been going down; until, at last, a law was passed, stripping them
of all their possessions, and confining the priests to their spiritual
duties; and at the same time declaring all the Indians free and independent
Rancheros. The change in the condition of the Indians was, as may be
supposed, only nominal: they are virtually slaves, as much as they
ever were. But in the missions, the change was complete. The priests
have now no power, except in their religious character, and the great
possessions of the missions are given over to be preyed upon by the
harpies of the civil power, who are sent there in the capacity of
administradores, to settle up the concerns; and who usually end,
in a few years, by making themselves fortunes, and leaving their
stewardships worse than they found them. The dynasty of the priests
was much more acceptable to the people of the country, and indeed,
to every one concerned with the country, by trade or otherwise,
than that of the administradores. The priests were attached
perpetually to one mission, and felt the necessity of keeping up
its credit. Accordingly, their debts were regularly paid, and the
people were, in the main, well treated, and attached to those who
had spent their whole lives among them. But the administradores are
strangers sent from Mexico, having no interest in the country;
not identified in any way with their charge, and, for the most
part, men of desperate fortunes - broken down politicians and
soldiers - whose only object is to retrieve their condition in
as short a time as possible. The change had been made but a few
years before our arrival upon the coast, yet, in that short time,
the trade was much diminished, credit impaired, and the venerable
missions going rapidly to decay.
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