Lamy of Santa Fe

VI. Scandal at Taos • 1852–1861

VI SCANDAL AT TAOS 1852-1861 z. Martinez Rampant IF THERE WAS EVERY REASON FOR LAMY TO BELIEVE that his enemies were intensifying their representations against him at Rome, he had more comforting reason, in January 1856, to hope that peace might at last settle upon his relations with one who was potentially his most formidable, because most intelligent and even least corrupt, adversary. This was the pastor of Ranchos de Taos, Father Antonio Jose Martinez . Father Martinez had worked for a quarter of a century for his people in Taos-Indians of the pueblo as well as the Mexican families of the ranchos and the central village. He had tried, long before Lamy, to find native youths who could be trained for the priesthood, and had found some-the notorious Gallegos of Albuquerque had been one of them. Martinez, too, had had his fling in local politics, and, remote in his high mountain village on Taos Plain, he had kept up a lively life of the mind, with strong opinions dating from his years as a seminarian at Durango. Now, after his skirmishes with Lamy, over the issue of the division of the Santa Fe parish, and with Machebeuf , over the accusations of betrayals of the confessional oath, he seemed to have subsided, despite his deeply entrenched local patriotism and pride of race. Further, he was beginning to feel the infirmities of age coming upon him, and he fell to considering proper arrangements for a diminishing future. He wrote to Lamy about all this in a temperate spirit. Sending his letter by way of his cousin Joaquin Sandoval, who brought with it for the bishop a chalice of silver "worth thirty pesos," he went on to say that he was troubled with rheumatism which, especially when riding, gave him great suffering in his legs. He had to keep himself warmly dressed even in the house. More-his nights were greatly distressed by urinary difficulties-"I am unable to void all that I need to," and falling asleep became impossible. Lying in bed until 2I9 220 SCANDAL AT TAOS • 1852-1861 three in the morning was all he could do. He was troubling Lamy with these disagreeable personal matters because "if such ills continue ," he must sooner or later vacate his benefice-when, who could say? But it might be in the near future, though until such time he would of course give due attention to his duties. In short, "I might find myself obliged to resign because of poor health," and he remained at His Excellency's disposal, and was his most true subject and faithful servant. To this recital which seemed to cry out for sympathy there was no reply from Santa Fe. Lamy was alert to other concerns, and he wrote of these to Barnabo at Rome; for he had evidence that the legislators of New Mexico, and other laymen, under the sponsorship of Gallegos and J. F. Ortiz, were readying a huge bill of complaints against him to be addressed to Pio Nono. In the light of recent history, he may still have had doubts about Martinez. In any case, instead of answering Martinez, he wrote to Barnabo, "Perhaps the legislators of New Mexico who, though Catholics in name, are far from honoring religion by their moral conduct, will send you a representation against me and some of the rules which I established. I think it my duty to warn you of this, for all this opposition is plotted slyly by two or three Mexican priests"-could Martinez be one?-"who do not easily pardon me for the fault of having come to trouble them...." In a month or so Machebeuf was to leave for Rome. He and Lamy were taken up with the preparation of documents which would present the bishop's case at the Holy See. Father Martinez, with his tall, oval face, framed in black receding hair, his black eyes with the lids drawn down at the outer corners, his lean dour mouth, his jutting cheek bones, the uncertain look oddly lodged in his strong features, above his black neck cloth and his velvet-faced black cloak, was not the foremost of the concerns which now held Lamy's attention. Once again preparing to manage without the presence of his vicar general, Lamy, as he had written to the Society at Paris, would have to do everything himself-uJe suis alors...