BUT NO BLOOD SHED. 63 
be dealt with according to law. But the 
governor afiected to consider the affair as a 
conspiracy; and, collecting his ragamuffin 
militia, attempted to intimidate the petition- 
ers. The foreigners were now constrained to 
look to their defence, as they saw that no 
justice was to be expected. Had Armijo per- 
sisted, serious consequences might have en- 
sued; but seeing the ‘conspirators’ firm, he 
sent an apology, affecting to have misconstru- 
ed their motives, and promising that the laws 
should be duly executed upon the murderers. 
Besides the incentives of justice and hu- 
manity, foreigners felt a deep interest in the 
execution of this promise. But a few years 
previous, another person had been assassinat- 
ed and robbed at the same place; yet the 
authorities having taken no interest in the 
matter, the felons were never discovered: and 
now, should these assassins escape the merited 
forfeit of their atrocious crime, it was evident 
there would be no future security for our lives 
and property. But the governor's due ezecu- 
tion of the laws consisted in retaining them a 
year or two in nominal imprisonment, when 
they were again set at liberty: yet by far the 
greater portion of this time they were merely 
the criados sin sueldo (servants without hire) 
of the governor, laboring for him asa remune- 
ration for both the life and liberty which he 
granted them. Besides these, other foreigners 
have been murdered in New Mexico, and all 
with the same impunity. 
