History of New Mexico Spanish and English missions of the Methodist Episcopal church from 1850 to 1910.

Front matter

Class_JlY i 2£g<3_3

HISTORY

OF

Contents

Illustrations Pages 1, 2, 373-375,

Introductory Notes ... 1-16,

The Author asked to write; Early history-15- 37-1869;-First Missionaries;-Reports and Xetters^,

Section 1

The Methodist Missionary work began in New Mexico in 1850. In order to understand it more fully, the reader must be supplied with a few preliminaries even before that time.

New Mexico was visited by the Spaniards, it is said, as early as 1537. It became a territory of Spain in 1595, and -the Roman Catholics began their formal missionary work at that time. Hence they have had the right of way in New Mexico for almost 300 years. They had the entire religious control of New Mexico, unmolested by Protestants or Americans for nearly ten generations, up to within a few years past.

What a golden opportunity was this for Romanism. The so-called infallible pope at their head, the crowned heads of Spain and her civil and military officials and soldiery, for the most of the time, at her back, and a conquered territory at her feet ; with no Protestant Bible, or Protestant press or Protestant preacher or public school in the way. The priests could sow the gospel seed, water it with their tears, bask in papal benedictions and reap the golden harvest !

Ten generations of sowing and reaping and what is tlie harvest? What is New Mexico today? Or rather what was it in 1850 when my lesson begins? Intellectually, morally and religiously it was one of the darkest corners in Christendom. While' the inarch of civilization had taken grand strides, almost everywhere else, Xew Mexico had fallen behind. Why? For want of Bibles, schools and proper instruction. These wanting, there could be but little advancement on any lines of material progress. But we must not be too severe, since we do not know what Xew Mexico might have been without the Roman Catholic religion.

The writer speaks whereof he knows, when he says, that in 1870, twenty years after his lesson begins; in all his travels in Xew Mexico, not a public school house could be found, hardly a Bible in one family in a thousand, and only few other books ; hardly a public road or a bridge, only as they had been built by the government or the Protestant pioneer; hardly an American plow, wagon or buggy could be found. '

The ecclesiastical leaders, it seems, had made some progress in the introduction of fruits, such as the mission grape, apples, pears, peaches and these were found to do well, especially the grape, said to be the most delicious of any variety yet brought to the country, but we are sorry to say that this was perverted to a bad purpose, by both priests and people in making it into wine. But so far as we could see, they had made but feeble efforts to open the gates of civilization in our Protestant eastern states, for they preferred to go on in their established customs of gathering- tithes of flocks, tithes of fleeces, tithes of grain, administering sacraments at high prices, baptisms and the eucharist, and other so-called sacraments, such as marriages, extreme unction and prayers for the dead at extortionate prices; all of which could be practiced only among an ignorant and superstitious people. Such was the condition of New Mexico when the writer came in 1869. If such was the condition then, what must it have been when we roll back the curtain to 1850 when our first missionary, the Rev. E. G. Nicholson, came and began his work?

In 1870, when New Mexico's first census was taken, every citizen seemed ashamed of the illiteracy of the territory. It showed a fearful state of illiteracy, far worse than any state or territory in the Union. Seventy-three and a half per cent of the people over ten years of age were unable to read, and 78/2 unable to write. Of course it was worse than that in 1850. Yet we were, told that "these are our people, and that the Protestant missionaries have no business here." We were not so much surprised at this, for it is natural that the shepherds look after their flocks, and I must give our Roman Catholic brethren, both priests and laymen, credit for looking after their own people.

A few years ago, I spent a Sabbath for the first time at Yuma, in Arizona. American preachers and others had come in and I was invited to go with them Sunday morning to talk to the Mexican prisoners in Spanish. Word was sent up the evening' before. To the surprise of all, the next morning only a few of the Mexicans came to hear us. We were informed that the Father had been around and left word that those "Mexican prisoners all belonged to him and that we had nothing to do with them." Right here I am frank to admit, that a priest or minister, who is brave enough to claim a whole penitentiary of 225 convicts as his, ready to go with them in the cell or on the gallows to perform the last rites of his church, whether it does them any eood or not, deserves a worthy consideration.

In 1680 the Indians revolted and drove out the Spaniards. The Spaniards regained possession of New Mexico in 1698. In 1846 General Kearny entered Xew Mexico and took possession of the territory, and in 1848 it was ceded to the United States of America.

In 1850 the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church sent out its first missionary. The missionary was the Rev. E. G. Nicholson, who with his family left Independence, Mo., via stage, and reached Santa Fe, Saturday, and preached the following Sabbath from the text 1st Cor. 2:1-2 "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."

Section 2

The following is taken from the annual report of Dr. Durbin, Missionary Corresponding Secretary, 1855. Bishop Ames had episcopal supervision. The Doctor said :

"This Mission (New Mexico) was instituted in 1850 ^by the appointment of the Rev. E. G. Nicholson, who was sent expressly to the population speaking the English language. Brother Nicholson returned in the course of a year and reported unfavorably. The mission was then suspended for a year or so, until the Rev. Benigno Cardenas, a converted Mexican Catholic priest, was brought to the notice of the Bishops and Board; as also a young man who spoke Spanish. (This was Walter Hansen, -who had been connected with the Swedish work in New York. These brethren expressed a desire to be sent to New Mexico to preach in the Spanish lanoaia°;e to the native Roman Catholic population. Accordingly, in the year 1853, they were sent with the Rev. E. G. Nicholson as superintendent.

At the end of one year Brother Nicholson and the young man returned and reported unfavorably, but they left Brother Cardenas in New Mexico preaching to the people, chiefly in the Rio Grande Valley and in the vicinity of Socorro.

Our Brother Cardenas was alone in the mission for a year, and from various reliable sources, we were assured that his ministry was the only productive Protestant ministry in the territory; and were led to believe that his ministry might lay the foundation of a living evangelical church. With a view to determine how far this impression was war* ranted, we sent to Xew Mexico in the summer of 1355, our Brother, Rev. D. D. Lore, who had just returned from South American missionary work where he had been for nearly seven years, and spoke Spanish very well. He was instructed to examine carefully and report to us. His first letters were decidedly discouraging, and led the Geneial Missionary Committee at its meeting November last to take an incipient step toward closing the mission. Subsequent reports from Brother Lore are somewhat more favorable, but not sufficiently so to warrant any well grounded hope of establishing an evengelical church in Xew Mexico. Brother Lore will return home in the spring to meet his own Conference. In the meantime circumstances must determine our future course with he^ard to Xew Mexico. But we think it proper to put on record the report of Brother Lore, as follows :

L P. Durbix. Cor. Sec.

Section 3

Dr. Lore's Report.

But before we give any part of Dr. Lore's report as written to the Board in 1855, I desire to make some extracts from Dr. Durbin's report as given in 1853, as that will throw light on Dr. Lore's report. Dr. Durbin says : "Since the issue of the last Annual Report of 1852, we have sent out to the different mission fields the persons whose names follow and with the places and persons named come Rev. E. G. Xicholson, Walter Hansen and Benigno Cardenas to

New Mexico.'' Dr. Durbin then said: "Nearly four years ago (1850) a mission was projected at Santa Fe, New Mexico ; and the Rev. E. G. Nicholson and family were sent out." He says : "Brother Nicholson remained in Santa Fe for some time, and a small congregation collected, composed wholly of Americans residing at Santa Fe or connected with the Army. Shortly after this the headquarters of the Army were moved, and with it the little church went. About the same time, Mrs. Nicholson's health failed and they returned home and the Mission was suspended. "

Dr. Durbin further says : "During the year, after Mr. Nicholson's return (1852) the question of establishing a Mission among the Spanish-speaking people of New Mexico was agitated. While this was being considered, two things transpired which hastened its resolution in favor of sending out missionaries.

"1. There was a young Brother 'connected with the Swedish work in New York who could speak Spanish very well. He desired to go to New Mexico.

"2. During Mr. Nicholson's residence in Santa Fe he had become acquainted with an intelligent, well-educated Roman Catholic priest, of much influence in the country and eloquent. His name is Benigno Cardenas. He expressed dissatisfaction with the Roman Catholic Church and with 'the Bishop. But Brother Nicholson, fearing it might be a matter of a personal quarrel, after considering the case, gave it no encouragement. Shortly thereafter, Cardenas left New Mexico for Rome to lay his cause before the authorities at Rome," Mr. Durbin says that : "He left Rome with all his papers in order, under seal, as we ourselves have seen and with due passport as a Roman Catholic priest, and arrived in London. His visit to Rome seems to have completely opened his eyes and fixed his purpose to forsake his communion. He called on Rev. Mr. Rule in London who had long been a resident missionary in Spain. Mr. Rule took Cardenas into his family and for ten weeks carefully observed him and instructed him in evangelical doctrines, and gave him letters of introduction to our Board at Xew York/ 5

k, On his arrival at Xew York," says Mr. Durbin, w we treated him kindly and had much intercourse with him through interpreters. Our confidence grew slowly but surely, and we put him in communication with the Bishops, then reported to the Board. About this time Brother Nicholson visited the East at the request of Bishop Waugh ; and at the Xew York Conference at Kingston, in consultation with Bishops Janes and Simpson and Brother Nicholson and the corresponding secretary. Bishop Waugh determined with the consent of the Board to renew the Xew Mexico Mission and enlarge its aims so as to embrace the Spanish population, should the project upon observation in the territory be found practicable.

The Board concurred and the Mission was organfzecl by the appointment of Rev. E. G. Nicholson as superintendent, and Rev. W. Hansen as assistant. At the same time, Brother Nicholson was authorized to take along with him Benigno Cardenas, and to receive him into the church in the Mission in New T Mexico, and employ him as assistant under the conditions plainly set forth to him. The main conditions were, "If Cardenas, after arriving in New Mexico, should apply publicly to the Mission for admission and service and his spirit and conduct is satisfactory to Brother Nicholson, the Superintendent ; under these condition and arrangement the missionaries departed for New Mexico early in the autumn of 1853, and arrived safely in Santa Fe in due time, (being Nov. 10, 1853).

Note by the Author — Brother Hansen opened a school at Tecolote, but it was soon broken up by the interference of the Roman Catholic priests of Santa Fe. I received my information about this school from W. H. Moore, who had a store at Tecolote at that time, and S. B. Watrous, who also resided at Tecolote. They informed me that Mr. Hansen had a school of some thirty or thirty-five scholars and the people were delighted with it until the Bishop and priests came down from Santa Fe and in a few days after their arrival the school had to close for want of scholars.

Up to the present we have quoted from the secretary's reports ; Dr. Durbin and a few of my own notes and inferences. I had long desired to have something direct from these early missionaries. I thought that some of these reports might be easy of access in the office in New York, but to get at them was the question. I had asked for a few items of those early days, but in vain. In some of my correspondence in 1894 with Chaplain McCabe, D.D., at that time Corresponding Secretary, now Bishop, he happened to make the remark that an old schoolchum of mine in 1855, in Evanston Theological School, wished to be remembered, and gave his name as Rev. J. C. Thomas, Librarian in the Historical Society of the Missionary Society. I at once wrote him and told him what I wanted. He looked over the reports and found considerable information such as he thought I might want, but said he had no right to send the reports out of the office. I prevailed upon him and promised that they should be used carefully, and returned to him promptly so soon as I had copied what I wanted, which I did. This is the history and the secret of the valuable information I am giving in this story. I need not sav that the most of this information is new to the reader, but I know it will interest profoundly all the wide awake members of this mission, both Americans and Mexicans, But what about the missionaries themselves ; have you anything ? Yes, a letter from Rev. Mr. Nicholson :

Section 4

Santa Fe, New Mexico, Nov. 19, 1853. To Rev. J. P. Durbin, D.D., Missionary Corresponding Secretary, New York.

Dear Sir: — We reached Santa Fe, November 10th, and after resting a little 1 write you.

"Cardenas is to preach his first discourse as a Protestant tomorrow, on the public square, under the portal of the Palace. The friends of the Bishop are quite excited about it. They have torn down my primed notices of the meeting and some persons think we will be pelted with stones if we attempt to hold services on the plaza. I'm the 'die is east.' No building can be obtained; the plaza is public ground; the governor does not object to our standing so near to his palace, and as the Constitution of the United States and God's Word grant us freedom of speech we intend to express out sentiments and offer up prayer on the plaza tomorrow, though priests rage and stones fly as thick as hail about us.

•'The Bishop denounced Cardenas from the pulpit last Sabbath. He told the people they must not hear him or look at him as he was an apostate and his very looks might contaminate them. He said he did not object to them hearing- the other gentlemen, as they had been brought up Protestants. He knew that neither of us could use the tongue of the people as Cardenas can, but he required them under penalty of excommunication not to hear Cardenas and to refuse him admission into their houses.

"Respectfully, E. G. Nicholson"

(Second Letter from Mr. Nicholson.)

Santa Fe, Xew Mexico, November 20th, 1853.

This has been a day of much interest to the Protestants of this city. We had fixed on the hour of eleven o'clock for our services on the plaza, intending to begin as soon as the services at the Bishop's chapel should be over ; but the Bishop prolonged his services and at the close he denounced Cardenas again, appealing to their superstitious feelings and warned them not to hear him nor even to look at him, but to stop their cars, avert their faces and go immediately home. Then the bells were made to keep up a clatter till long after the Bishop, priests and nuns had crossed the plaza and entered their homes. But it would not go. Their attempts to interrupt our services and prevent a free man of being heard by a few of the people excited indignation. The people who had listened to the Bishop lounged about the chapel for a long time ; many went to their homes without looking at Cardenas ; some came under the portal of the palace ; others came forward and filled the seats ; others squatted on the ground and a great many gathered in groups about the plaza within hearing distance of the preacher. Cardenas spoke with great force and clearness. He had the unbroken attention of the people and uttered his reasons for renouncing the dogmas and legends of Rome and embracing the faith and worship of Protestants in a most noble and touching manner.

The subject of his discourse was "Repentance and Justification of Man." The sermon was Catholic and Apostolic in its sentiments, well suited for the occasion, and its illustrations were marked by simplicity and propriety that made it captivating and singularly interesting to all present.

At the c.ose of the service, Cardenas announced me to the people as the Rev. Superintendent of the Methodist Mission in New Mexico ; and after unfolding and explaining his parchment and letters of ordination and character, as a presbyter or priest in the Church of Rome, and missionary apostolic to New Mexico, he placed them- one by one, in my hands, expressing as he did so a desire to be connected with our Mission and to be authorized to officiate a.3 a minister anions us. I have his papers in my possession, and should nothing occur to change the good opinion I have formed of him, I will employ him in this field and issue a certificate of his position among us. His conduct in public and private since we have been together has been blameless, and such as becomes a servant of God. We pray twice a day in all the families where we stay; and we never omit to ask God's blessing at the table and to return thanks for our food. We rise early and spend some time in reading* the Spanish version of the Vulgate. Then we visit families who are willing to be visited by us. Wherever we go his theme is religion, the religion of Jesus, the only true Catholic religion found in the gospel of Christ.

"The next day, Monday, I administered baptism in the Senate Chamber, to the children of Mr. and Mrs. Spencer. The sponsers were Spaniards, reputable and influential members of the Roman Catholic Church. They said the Bishop had required them to make satisfaction to the church within fifteen days or he would excommunicate them. I do not think they will submit, Resp, E. G. Nicholson/'

Thus ends these exceedingly interesting letters from Mr. Nicholson. It is like a voice from the dead. "Though dead, he yet speaketh." And as this is all we shall have from this our first missionary in New Mexico, and so far back in the unwritten history of our work, we desire, before we proceed further, to make a few comments :

1. Mr. Nicholson must have been a good man for this Mission, prudent and practical, for it seems he was very careful and cautious in the employment of the ex-priest.

2. He must have been a man of more than usual ability, judging from his correspondence.

3. He must have been "a good mafi, full of faith and the Holy Ghost/' judging from his visiting from house to house and praying with the families.

4. He must have been energetic and studious, judging from his early rising and study of the Sacred Word.

5. He must have been a brave man, judging from his preaching on the public square and risking the threats made by the people.

6. If he. lacked anything it must have been in his staying qualities, judging from the fact of his twice returning to the States in so short a time and giving up the work. Perseverance, as the old collored man defined it, "Lay hold, hold on and neber let go," is an important quality in the make-up of a missionary. Could he have held on, it is not unlikely that this Mission would be far in advance of what it is todav. At about the time our Mission was opened at Santa Fe, other denominations also entered the field, the Baptist and Presbyterion. Revs, Messrs. Reed, Gorman, Shaw and Smith were all here in the early fifties, and seems at first they made Santa Fe their headquarters. New Missionary interest was also awakened in New Mexico by the Roman Catholic Church at about this time. July 19, 1850, Pope Pius IX. made New Mexico a Vicariate Apostolic, and on the 23rd of the same month, appointed for it as Vicar Apostolic, with the title of Bishop of Agathonica, the Rev. John D. Lamy, in partibus, from the diocese of Cincinnati. Bishop Lamy reached Santa Fe in the summer of 1851. On his arrival in* Santa Fe the Bishop found that the priests in New Mexico had received no communication from their ordinary about any change of administration. Neither had the Bishop of Durango who had jurisdiction over New Mexico received any notification concerning the change. This was a great disappointment to Bishop Lamy, and it caused him to make a trip overland many hundred miles t,o Durango, to confer with the Bishop of that place. The parish priest at that time was the Rev. Mr. Lujan, who invited a new priest, whom Bishop Lamy brought with him from Ohio for the missions of New Mexico, to sing mass on the following Sunday, and tried to address the congregation after the priest had introduced him not at all very warmly. He was not understood, of course, not speaking the language of the country and a question arose among the people on the plaza, after mass, as to what re-

Spanish and English Missions.

liglon the stranger might belong. "He must be a Jew or a Protestant" said some of them. "Quien sabe?" (Who knows?) inquired others. Still he said mass in Latin and but few understood it, and what difference did it make? At last a woman who -had stepped forward and heard the dispute amorrg" the people, asked : "What reason have you to be perplexed about the religion of this man? Did he not give a proof that he is a Catholic by the way he made the sign of the cross before giving his sermon?" This settled the question and removed all suspicion in regard to the religion of the new priest who was Joseph Machebeuf. "Other priests came with the Bishop to Xew Mexico, whose names have long been familiar to the writer of this book. The most of them, however, including the Bishop, have passed away.

For further information about this Mission we must go to the records at Xew York again. Di; Durbin, in his report for 1855, writes as follows:

"The Church is aware that we have made two attempts at considerable expense and toil to establish a Mission in New Mexico. All that remains of these efforts are the residence and the active preaching of "Rev. Benigno Cardenas, a native of New Mexico, 'and for many years an accredited and influential Roman Catholic priest. We have given the history of his conviction and conversion to Protestanism and his connection with our Mission. It is a matter of gteat thankfulness to God that he has been faithful

Mistory of New Mexico

to 1 lis great spiritual enlightenment and charge, ami has become, as we truly believe,, a genuine evengehcal Christian. All our private information from New Mexico attests this,, as well as the work he is doing. But lie is alone, and earnestly appeals tons to send him a superintendent and an assistant. The Bishop is using his best endeavors to grant his request. Who will give his life to this work and make the New Mexico Mission the great and only enter prise of his life, keeping clear of all worldly schemes and becoming an apostle to the Spanish population, of the territory? It is a work worthy of a great and devoted souL Such a man to superintend, to 1 preach in English, and in due time to establish schools while he would guide and assist the Rev, Benigno Cardenas in his great work among the Spanish would leave his living, an illuminated markon the page of the history of the Church and of the present territory and the future State of New Mexio >.

Our venerable Brother Cardenas; though somewhat advanced in years; yet travels from town to town, dispensing the Word of God by public preaching, showing the errors of Romanism and pointing to "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world/' In this work his life has been perilled, he has been shot at, and is everywhere threatened by the fanatical multitudes, and publicly denounced by the Roman Catholic Bishop; but God preserves him and we must sustain him.

Spanish and English Missions?

The latest letters we have had from him are dated at Santa Fe, December 25 and 26, 1854. He had seen the publication in the States over the signatures of Revs. Messrs. Read and Gorman, Baptist Missionaries in New Mexico, in which they stated that they expected to baptize "el padre'' Benigno Cardenas on the 24th of September. Upon seeing these printed statements Cardenas writes:

"I am surprised at the conduct of Mr. Read in publishing his base supposition as facts; thus abusing my generosity and the candor and the confidence of my congregation. I have resolved from this moment to withdraw my friendship from him, and also from Mr. Gorman: although we had agreed to act as one in preaching the gospel without interference with each other's views. It is thev that are blameable."

"As a specimen of what he is doing,'' says the Corresponding Secretary, "we make the following extracts from his letter of December 25th, 1854." Mr. Cardenas says :

"I have the pleasure to acknowledge the receipt of Rev. D. Terry's letter, as also a check of $200, and a notice of Spanish books to arrive. I wish the books were here working their legitimate effects in this unhappy land, even though the bishops and priests may burn them as well as the Bibles, because they are brought here by Protestants. They have found arguments insufficient to sustain their imposture, and would thus keep the minds of their unhappy people wrapped in ignorance. Such are these ambitious priests whose sole aim is personal and temporal advantage, who have the people believe that their frivolous forms constitute the true religion. Every day new conversions appear, but as yet many do not declare themselves for fear, notwithstanding their conduct makes a favorable impression on the side of Protestantism, and is the means of their refusing to pay tithes, bishop's fees and other dues in spite of threatened excommunication and spiritual penalties."

The following is taken from a letter from Brothe/ Cardenas bearing date at Santa Fe at about the same time, December 24th, 1854. He says :

"On the 24th of October, 1854, I preached in Tome, and the people were convinced that I preached the truth, and only the truth. Also in Socorro, November 17th, to a large congregation of people, who afterwards gathered in groups to discuss the matter. The next day in the plaza I preached on Romanism and Protestantism. In Algodones T preached three times and founded a society of twenty persons, with hopes of more joining them. On the 24th, I preached in Santa Fe to a large congregation of Mexicans and Americans, and numbers were convinced of the errors of Romanisn. The Bishop declaimed against me, but none took any heed except the old Viejas' (old women) and them he flatered.

"Respectfully Benigno Cardenas. 99

Section 5. 1 Dr. D, D, Lore's Leter) Santa Fe, New Mexico, Nov. 26th, 1855. To the Corresponding Secretary Mission Society, New York,

Dear Brother: On Sabbath, November nth, 1855, I administered the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to our little church in Socorro. I \Vas alone in the administration of the ordinance; Rev. Benigno Cardenas being at another place. There were Seven communicants present, four males and three females, two were absent. We have a class here of nine persons, which I have organized as the beginning of the Church of Christians in this place. I have no doubt of the piety and acceptance in Christ of those thus united together. It is true that they are but "babes in Christ Jesus" and need the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby. Another man had given us his name as a Christian, but with further acquaintance I had reason to doubt his Stability and before the communion I saw him as the hell ringer and in a Romish procession. It is very difficult for the old man (he is about 80 years of age) to cast off the toils of superstition that have been so Ions: entwining themselves around him. I have not received him among us, but the brethren will labor with him, and endeavor to lead him into 'the way of truth. Our communion season was a very precious one. The presence of the Lord was felt in a vary special manner. All seemed conscience of the divine approbation, it never was more so on any similar occasion. We felt that we were brethren in Christ. Our eyes overflowing with tears of joy. Our hearts melted, mingled and cemented together in one at the foot of the cross. It was good to be there. Could you have been with us, your heart would have caught the flame. We may say in the language of Peter, 'The Holy Ghost fell upon them as upon us at the beginning." In addition to our usual service, I added the reading of the Commandments and the Apostle's Creed. This was my first communion with Mexican Methodists.