[Evidently as the result of a dispute between these two dignitaries,
Salazar writes (March 4) a letter to Dasmariñas, deprecating any
hostility between them, defending his own position, ascribing the
differences between them to intermeddlers, and prophesying evil to
the country if Dasmariñas maintains his present purposes in regard
to the tributes. He criticizes the governor's decree in various
points--the permission to collect three-fourths of the amount levied;
the appointment of more officials (in most of whom the bishop has no
confidence); and the importance attached therein to the administration
of justice in the encomiendas, as compared with the provision of
religious instruction.]
Since your Lordship cares so little for these arguments, know that the
reason which induced his Majesty to command that in Nueva España there
should be no fiscals was, that they wrought injury to the Indians;
... and yet he had not so much certainty of the evil deeds committed
by the fiscals as he has of those done by the alcaldes-mayor and
the deputies. ... Among other decrees which, I am told, Doctor
Vera brought when he came here as president of this Audiencia, is
one commanding him to be very cautious in creating alcaldes-mayor,
on account of the injury thus occasioned to the country. ... You say
that you do not dare to make changes, lest the encomenderos abandon
their encomiendas, or become disaffected; and yet you know that all the
inhabitants of these islands, whether or not they possess encomiendas,
have been and now are faithful and loyal vassals to their king; and
that nothing which could occur, even to the injury of their property
or lives, would prevent them from rendering obedience to his Majesty's
commands. This is one of the things in which the inhabitants of these
islands can take most pride, and his Majesty should most highly value
them, on account of the fidelity with which they have served him,
at the cost of their lives and possessions. [The king confers the
encomiendas upon certain persons, who thus assume obligations to
the Indians; that they may fulfil these, he orders them to collect
the tributes. Accordingly, the alcaldes-mayor do not appear in the
king's provisions regarding this matter, and Salazar questions the
governor's right to appoint them.] Neither the king of Castilla nor
his ministers can exercise, in regard to the Indians, more authority
than what the church confers upon them; and the church has not over
the infidels as much authority as some who think otherwise have given
your Lordship to understand. ... The church did not grant'lordship
over the Indians to the kings of Castilla with the principal object of
establishing justice among them, but did so in order that they should
furnish to the natives religious instruction--which always, and in
every instance, can and ought to be given them. [No tribute should
be imposed upon the Indians unless religious instruction is given to
them; and to allow them the fourth part of the tax is not to benefit
their souls. The bishop insists that the governor is responsible for
taking such measures as shall remedy the present abuses, and urges
him to accept the plan proposed by the clergy.] If your Lordship,
after reading what I here state, shall decide to pursue and carry into
execution the opinion and resolution which you have communicated to
me, I cannot, without violating the obligations of my office, decline
to release the consciences of those whom I have in charge. From this
your Lordship's house, on the fourth of March of the year 1591.
_Fray Domingo_, Bishop of the Filipinas.