RETURN OF THE SPANIARDS.--COMPLETION OF THE CATHEDRAL.--THE OLDEST
CHURCH BELL IN AMERICA.--THE GOVERNOR’S DESIRE TO PEOPLE THE
PROVINCE WITH IRISH CATHOLICS.--SOME OFFICIAL ORDERS EXHIBITING THE
CUSTOMS OF THE SPANIARDS.--UNJUSTIFIABLE INTERFERENCE OF THE UNITED
STATES, DURING THE “PATRIOT WAR.”--FLORIDA AN UNPROFITABLE
POSSESSION.--ERECTION OF THE MONUMENT TO THE SPANISH CONSTITUTION.
In June, 1784, Governor Zespedes took possession of St. Augustine, in
the name of “his most Catholic Majesty.” The British Government had
provided a fleet of transports to convey its subjects, and from the St.
Johns River and the St. Mary’s they sailed for the American colonies and
the British dominions.
With the Spanish flag returned to St. Augustine the numerous company of
salaried officials and crown-pensioners holding sinecure offices, and
contributing nothing to the improvement of the place, and nothing to its
existence but their presence. This large portion of the inhabitants,
dependent upon the crown, did not always receive punctual payment of
their salaries; but, with their daily allowance of rations in kind, they
were enabled to exist. They generally occupied the houses belonging to
the crown, which were numerous, and the rent required was but nominal.
In 1764, a large number of lots in the town had been sold in confidence
to Jesse Fish, a British subject, to prevent their being forfeited to
the crown at the expiration of the period allowed by the treaty between
Great Britain and Spain for the disposal of private property. This sale
was not recognized as valid by the Spanish authorities upon their
return, and one hundred and eighty-five lots were thus forfeited to the
King of Spain. These lots were soon after sold at auction, on terms very
favorable to the purchasers.
Upon the return of the Spaniards they at once devoted their energies to
completing their house of worship. At the change of flags (1763) the
walls of the present cathedral had been erected, and, to prevent the
property from becoming forfeited to the British Government, the lot and
unfinished structure were deeded to Jesse Fish for one hundred dollars.
The deed was a trust deed, and, upon the return of the Spaniards, the
property was reconveyed by Mr. Fish to the Rev. Thomas Hassett,
Vicar-General of Florida. The old parish church, which stood on the lot
now belonging to the Episcopal parish, and west of their church edifice,
had during the English possession been used as a courthouse. This old
church was called “Our Lady of the Angels,” and was built of stone,
being probably the second church erected in the town by the Spaniards.
The Spanish governor, immediately on taking possession, had fitted up
this old church for worship, for which the second story was assigned,
while on the first floor were rooms used for a guard, a temporary jail,
and for storing provisions, all of which uses would seem more
appropriate to the castle. Where the first wooden church stood I have
been unable to learn, though there is some rather obscure evidence that
it was near the present residence of Mr. Howard, on St. George Street.
How long the walls of the cathedral had been standing, before the change
of flags, is unknown. In 1703 the king decreed an appropriation of
$20,000 for the repair of the churches of St. Augustine injured by
Colonel Daniel. In 1720 the crown sent $20,000 more, and in 1723 issued
a decree to procure at once workmen and repair the convent, the church,
and the walls of the city. In 1790 the king decreed the application of
the rent from ten lots in Havana to finish the church. The inhabitants
were urged to contribute in work or money; and it is said that they
brought in poultry, which was very scarce, and donated the proceeds of
the sales of their chickens, which then sold at a dollar apiece. The two
old churches--“Nostra Senora de la Leche,” and “Our Lady of the
Angels”--were torn down, and the materials sold for the benefit of the
new church, as well as such ornaments as were salable. From these
sources it was reported to the Bishop of Cuba that the following amounts
had been obtained: From the ornaments of the old churches, $3,978; from
donations offered by “these wretched inhabitants,” $850; the value of
the stone in the two old and dilapidated churches, $800--a total of
$5,628. To this amount the government applied revenues which amounted to
$11,000. It was not long after the means were secured before the edifice
was completed. It was blessed Dec. 8th, 1791. This new church, now
called the cathedral, was constructed under the supervision of Don
Mariana de la Roque, and presents a very pleasing architectural aspect.
The front wall is carried above the roof, making a section of a
bell-shaped cone, in excellent proportion and graceful curvature. The
front entrance is supported by a circular arch, and upon each side stand
two massive Doric columns supporting the entablature. The roof is
supported by trusses, so that the whole auditorium is free from columns
except two large stone pillars, which support the gallery immediately
over the entrance, and thus form the vestibule. From the center of the
ceiling hangs a unique chandelier, in which has been kept burning the
sacred flame almost without intermission for nearly a hundred years.
Near the vestibule, upon the left as you enter the church, is the sacred
crucifix belonging to the early chapel of Nra. Sra. de la Leche. It is
said that another ornament of this early chapel, a statue representing
the blessed Virgin watching from the church over the camp of the new
believers in her Son’s divinity, is in the convent of St. Teresa, at
Havana. A very interesting document is probably in the possession of the
church in Cuba, which is an inventory taken under a decree, issued Feb
6, 1764, by Morel, Bishop of Santa Cruz, enumerating all the ornaments,
altars, effigies, bells, and jewels belonging to the churches and
religious associations of St. Augustine. This inventory and much of the
property was taken to Cuba in a schooner called _Our Lady of the Light_.
From this record it might be possible to learn something of the history
of the bells in the belfry of the cathedral. Of these there are four
hanging in separate niches cut in the wall of the elevated front, three
in niches having their floors upon the same plane, but the two outer
ones are constructed of a less height than the center niche in which
hangs the largest bell; the fourth is a small bell in a corresponding
niche above the other three. I have always thought that one of these
bells might have been used in the English church, though there is no
record of it. The bell in the westerly niche, though the best in
appearance, and having the brightest color, is probably the oldest bell
upon this continent. The following inscription is cast upon its exterior
surface:
✝
SANCTE JOSEPH
ORA PRO NOBIS
D 1682
The other bells have inscriptions cast upon them, but no date. The small
bell in the upper niche was placed there about fifty years ago, having
been presented to the church by Don Geronimo Alverez, the same who was
alcalde (mayor) when the monument was built. An interesting anecdote is
told of this man, showing the power he possessed in the town. It is said
that, soon after the change of flags, a funeral procession approached
the church followed by pall-bearers decorated with a white sash, a
custom then first introduced, which is still retained. At the entrance
to the church they were met by this valiant but ignorant don, who
fiercely brandished a staff, and declared that not one of the impious
Freemasons should cross the threshold of the church except over his dead
body. Argument was unavailing, and the ceremony at the church was
necessarily dispensed with on that occasion, though the precaution was
taken to inform the old gentleman, before the next funeral, that the
sash was but a badge of mourning, and not the trappings of the devil.
The cathedral is one of the most ornamental and interesting structures
in the town, and it is to be hoped that the revenues of the church may
be sufficient to keep it in perfect preservation. At present it needs
repairs.[30]
May 15th, 1792, the large barracks built by the British were burned. The
lower story, only, was built of brick, the upper being of wood, while
the porches on all sides were supported by stone pillars. After the
destruction of these barracks, the Spanish governor made use of the
convent of “The Conception of Our Lady,” or St. Francis, as it was
afterward called, for the accommodation of his troops. It has ever since
been used for military purposes, though it still bears the canonized
name Francis.
Finding that the Minorcans were unable to receive the full benefit from
the teachings of the priests because of their inability to understand
the Spanish language, the Vicar-General asked that there might be sent
to St. Augustine a priest conversant with the language of this large
proportion of his flock. In 1795, agreeably to this request, Friar
McAfry Catalan, an Irish priest speaking the Minorcan language, arrived
in St. Augustine. The Spanish governor, Don Juan Nepomuseno Quesada,
made great efforts to settle the province, and allowed many
extraordinary privileges, such as were not enjoyed in any other part of
the Spanish dominions. In 1792 Florida was opened to general emigration
without exception of country or creed. It was rapidly progressing to
importance under this wise policy, when the Spanish Minister, growing
jealous of the republican spirit of the new colonists, closed the gates
against American citizens about the year 1804. Quesada, however,
endeavored to procure a large Irish emigration, and wrote to Las Casas,
Governor of Cuba, asking that the government would aid those of Irish
nationality and Catholic faith to settle in the province. The governor
replied that no settlers should be admitted to Florida unless they paid
their own transportation and maintained themselves. He instructed
Quesada to afford no other assistance than “lands, protection, good
treatment, and no molestation in matters of religion, although there
shall be no other public worship but Catholic.” He also referred him to
the “Law of the Indies.” By this law lands were granted to new settlers,
“making a distinction between gentlemen and peasants.” A peasant’s
portion was a town lot fifty by one hundred feet--arable land, capable
of producing one hundred fanegas (bushels) of wheat and ten of Indian
corn, with as much land as two oxen can plow in a day for the raising of
esculent roots; also pasture-land for eight breeding sows, twenty cows,
five mares, one hundred sheep, and twenty goats.
A gentleman’s portion was a lot in town one hundred by two hundred feet,
and, of all the remainder, five times a peasant’s portion. Many grants
were made under this law by Governor Quesada, and the patents issued by
him are the foundation of many titles of lands in the vicinity of St.
Augustine.
At this time there were many customs, ordinances, and habits of life
existing in this old town of which no record or chronicle now remains.
One most respectable gentleman of the place has mentioned to the author
that his mother was married to three different husbands in the space of
two years. This would seem a very strange proceeding at the present day,
but can be readily understood when we learn that, a hundred years ago,
the women of this town were obliged to marry for protection. The
following are some of the orders issued September 2d, 1790, by the
Spanish governor: Order No. 12 prohibits all women under the age of
forty (whether widows or single) from living otherwise than under the
immediate protection of their parents or relations. Order No. 23
forbidding masters or supercargoes of vessels from selling their cargoes
by wholesale without having first exposed the same for sale at retail
eight days previously to the public. Order No. 25 prohibiting persons
from galloping horses through the streets, and dogs from going at large
except hounds and pointers. Order No. 27 prohibiting persons from
walking the streets after nine o’clock at night without a lantern with a
light therein. Another order prohibited the owners of billiard tables
from admitting tradesmen, laborers, domestics, and boys on working days.
There were few events worth recording which happened under the Spanish
rule after 1800, or at least that are of interest to the general reader.
Just after the recession the Indians attacked the settlements, and
burned Bella Vista, the country seat of Governor Moultrie, seven miles
south of St. Augustine. These Indian contests continued during the whole
succeeding period up to the change of flags, and were then transferred
to the Americans. The Indians were in almost every instance incited by
white men, or goaded to desperation by the deceptions of their white
neighbors, who were ever attempting to either make slaves of the Indians
or procure what negro slaves were owned by them. Just before the cession
of Florida to the United States, there were said to be about a thousand
Indians in the vicinity of St. Augustine. These obtained a living by
hunting, raising herds of cattle, and crops of corn, and bringing wood
into St. Augustine. This they were said to carry in bundles on their
backs. About this time they were all nearly starved by the trickery of
some unprincipled residents of St. Augustine. At the period when the
attention of themselves and their negro slaves was directed to the
cultivation of their crops a few worthless wretches, for the purpose of
alarming the Indians, and inducing them to sell their slaves for almost
nothing, went among the nation and spread the report that two thousand
men under General Jackson were coming to expel them from their lands and
carry away their slaves and cattle. This form of imposition had before
proved successful, and did in this case. The Indians upon this abandoned
their lands and sold their slaves, but before the next season
experienced great suffering from want, while the unprincipled
speculators having gratified their avarice were indifferent to the needs
of the poor savages.
In January, 1811, President Monroe appointed George Matthews and John
McKee commissioners, with power to occupy the Floridas with force,
“should there be room to entertain a suspicion that a design existed in
any other power to occupy the provinces.” In pursuance of these
instructions, which at this day must be considered simply extraordinary,
one of the commissioners came to St. Augustine, and made a proposition
to the Spanish governor to surrender the province to the United States,
which was of course refused. Thereupon it was given out that the United
States intended to occupy the province, and those whose interest would
be served endeavored to bring such a result about by every means in
their power. This was the period of the embargo in the United States.
The port of Fernandina affording deep water, and a convenient point for
shipping American productions, and being under the Spanish flag, became
the resort for a large fleet of vessels. This was of course obnoxious to
the United States authorities, who offered every encouragement to a
large class of citizens who were anxious to escape from the Spanish
rule.
In March, 1812, a large number of these individuals organized a
provisional government, and soon after, with the help of Commodore
Campbell, United States Navy, obtained the capitulation of the town and
fort on Amelia Island. Still encouraged, and led by citizens and
officers of the United States, these men, styling themselves patriots,
began a march toward St. Augustine, and taking possession of the old
Fort Mosa, invested the place. From this place they were dislodged by a
Spanish gun-boat, but they still hovered about the town and cut off all
supplies. It is said that the courage and activity of a company of
negroes commanded by a free black, named Prince, alone saved the people
of the town from starvation. At this period a barrel of corn sold for
sixteen dollars. At the same time the Indians were urged to attack the
Americans and “patriots,” and for the space of a year there was a
constant strife between these parties throughout Florida. In May, 1813,
President Monroe, seeing that he had gone too far in incroaching upon
the territory of a friendly nation, withdrew the American troops from
Florida. These incursions under American protection in East Florida,
like General Jackson’s unhesitating course in attacking the British on
Spanish territory in West Florida, plainly showed the King of Spain how
precarious and unreliable was the tenure of his sovereignty. The Spanish
nation had held the territory of Florida for two hundred and fifty
years, constantly yielding to the French and English portions adjacent
originally claimed by Spain. The great hopes of wealth and a vast
revenue from the province had never been realized; but, on the contrary,
vast outlays had constantly been required, which were supplied by the
more prosperous provinces and the home government. In 1811, Governor
Estrada writes to the Captain-General of Cuba, that the $140,013 and 4
reals allowed annually for salaries was urgently needed; also that
there were no funds wherewith to pay “the annual presents of the
Indians, the payments due invalids, Florida pensioners and settlers, who
receive a daily pension and charity, whose outcries are so continual
that the most obdurate heart would melt at them with compassion.”
Under these circumstances it was but natural that the King of Spain
should be willing to rid himself of this so very unprofitable province.
The United States, upon the other hand, were anxious to obtain the
possession of the peninsula to complete their coast line.
In 1819 a treaty of amity was concluded between his Catholic Majesty and
the United States, whereby the two Floridas were ceded to the latter
power as an indemnity for damages estimated at five million dollars.
This treaty was dated February 22d, 1819, and ratified February 22d,
1821.
Seven years before the cession the Spanish Cortes had issued an order to
the authorities of all the Spanish colonies to erect in some public
place of their principal town a monument as a memorial of the liberal
constitution which had been granted to Spain and her provinces.
Accordingly, the City Council of St. Augustine, probably with the
crown’s funds, erected upon the public square a monument to commemorate
a grant of the privilege of representation, which the people of the
province never even asked for, much less enjoyed. At the east end of the
public square, or “Plaza de la Constitucion,” as it is now called, there
stood, in Spanish times, the government drug store, two private houses
used as dwellings, a bar-room, and the town market. Adjoining the market
was a bell-tower, and the guard in front of the public jail, which stood
where the St Augustine Hotel now is, used to strike the bell in the
tower to mark the hours, which were counted with the old-fashioned
sand-glass standing within the tower under the supervision of the guard.
As these buildings occupied about a fourth part of the present plaza,
the monument, though now situated toward the western side of the square,
then stood in the center of the inclosure. Soon after its completion,
the Spanish government issued orders that all monuments erected to the
constitution throughout its realms should be razed. The citizens of St.
Augustine were much grieved to think of losing their monument, which was
considered a great ornament to the public park, and appealed to the
governor and principal men to allow the decree to be disregarded. It was
finally decided to allow the monument to stand without the inscription.
The citizens accordingly removed the marble tablets upon which the
inscriptions had been engraved, and placed them in concealment, where
they remained until 1818, when they were restored without opposition.
This monument is the only one in existence commemorative of the Spanish
constitution of 1812. It is twenty feet high, standing upon a foundation
of granite with a square pedestal, from which the shaft rises in a
curve, and thence tapers with rectilinear surfaces to its top, which is
surmounted by a cannon-ball. It is constructed of coquina, and its
surface is cemented and kept whitewashed, except the ball upon the
summit, which is painted black. Don Geronimo Alvarez was alcalde at the
time it was erected. Upon three of the four sides there is set in the
masonry a small marble tablet bearing the inscription, “Plaza de la
Constitucion.” Upon the east side is the large marble tablet upon which
is engraved the following:
_Plaza de la
Constitucion.
Promulga en esta Ciudad
de San Agustin de la Florida
Oriental en 17 de Octubre de
1812 siendo Gobernador el
Brigadier Don Sebastian
Kindalem Cuba Here
del order de Santiago.
Peira eterna memoria
El Ayuntamiento Constitucional
Erigioeste Obelisco
dirigido por Don Fernando
de la Plaza_[31]
_Arredondo el Joven
Regidor De cano y
Don Franciscor Robira
Procurador Sindico.
Año de 1813_
TRANSLATION.
Plaza of the Constitution, promulgated in the city of St. Augustine,
East Florida, on the 17th day of October, the year 1812. Being then
Governor the Brigadier Don Sebastian Kindalem, Knight of the order of
San Diego.
FOR ETERNAL REMEMBRANCE,
the Constitutional City Council erected this monument under the
supervision of Don Fernando de la Maza Arredondo, the young municipal
officer, oldest member of the corporation, and Don Franciscor Robira,
Attorney and Recorder.
Immediately under the date there is cut in the marble tablet the Masonic
emblem of the square and compass. The reader can readily believe that
the City Council of St. Augustine in 1813 were all too good Catholics to
be responsible for this symbol of Masonry. The history of that piece of
vandalism is said to be as follows: Soon after the close of the war of
the Rebellion, the “young bloods” amused themselves by endeavoring to
create an alarm in the mind of the United States commandant, and, by
executing a series of cabalistic marks at different localities
throughout the town, to convey the impression that a secret society was
in existence, and about to do some act contrary to the peace and dignity
of the United States. Besides other marks and notices posted upon
private and public buildings about the town this square and compass was
one night cut upon the tablet of the Spanish monument, where it will
remain as long as the tablet exists, an anomaly, without this
explanation.