the ayuntamientos of San José, Monterey, and perhaps other places, sent strong petitions on the evils that must result from such expulsion, expressing for the missionaries the deepest love and veneration, and pleading eloquently that the people might not be deprived of their spiritual guardians.[1] I find no responses to these petitions, nor are there any definite orders of later date on the subject, which, except in certain particulars to be noted in the next paragraph, seems to have been now allowed to rest. One of the Spanish friars, however, received before the end of 1829 a passport to a land where it is to be hoped his political troubles were at an end. This was the aged and infirm Padre Jaime, who died at Santa Bárbara.
I have said that Echeandía deemed it desirable to get rid of certain padres. Personal feeling was his motive in part; moreover, it was important to remove certain obstacles likely to interfere with his policy of secularization, of which more hereafter. Prejudice against all that was Spanish was the strongest feeling in Mexico, and there was no better way for the governor to keep himself in good standing with the power that appointed him than to go with the current. It also favored Echeandía's plans respecting his enemy Herrera, while increasing the importance of his own services, to show the existence of a strong revolutionary spirit in favor of Spain. There was, however, but a slight foundation on which to build. The padres were Spaniards, and as a rule disapproved the new form of government; but it is not likely that any of them had a definite hope of overthrowing the republic, or of restoring California to the old system, and the most serious charge that could be justly brought against them was an occasional injudicious use of the
- ↑ Aug. 25th, S. José, Peticion del Ayuntamiento en favor de los Frailes Españoles, 1829, MS.; Monterey, Peticion al Presidente y Congreso en favor de los Frailes Españoles, 1829, MS. Oct. 22d, gov. approves the petitions. Dept. Rec., MS., vii. 239. Oct. 12th, Virmond writes from Mexico that the president had not the slightest idea of expelling the friars. Guerra, Doc., MS., vi. 145-8.
