New Mexico Historical Review Volume 22 Number 2 Article 2 4-1-1947 Black-Robed Justice in New Mexico Arie Poldervaart Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nmhr Recommended Citation Poldervaart, Arie. "Black-Robed Justice in New Mexico." New Mexico Historical Review 22, 2 (1947). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/nmhr/vol22/iss2/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in New Mexico Historical Review by an authorized editor of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]. NEW MEXICO HISTORICAL REVIEW VOL. XXII APRIL, 1947 NO.2 BLACK-ROBED JUSTICE IN NEW MEXICO, 1846-1912· By ARIE POLDERVAART CHAPTER IV TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE HORTLY before the military occupation of New Mexico S gave way to the civil government of the Territory, an alcalde at Tome demanded the church keys from the Catholic priest who was stationed there and removed from the House of God its sacred vestments and consecrated vases, then turned them over to Nicolas Valencia, a former priest who had been suspended from the clergy for his non-conformist views. ( In Santa Fe Donaciano Vigil, acting governor of New Mexico following the assassination of Governor Bent, sus pended the Vicario, chief representative of the Church, from exercising ecclesiastical functions on the ground that his ministrations were inimical to the American institutions which were gradually being introduced. These and similarly unwarranted infringements upon the rights of the Catholic church soon caused threats of rebellion.