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Zuniga accused Corcoles of bad governance
Source: The Governorship of Spanish Florida #122
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Review of his case in Spain proved advantageous to Zuniga. After examining the testimony, the Council rejected the findings of Ruiz and Corcoles, absolved Zuniga of guilt on all eleven counts, and reduced his fine to 100 pesos, probably a token payment to help defray the costs of his case. [Note: Sentencia de la residencia se Zuniga 8/1/1710] This decision might have ended the matter once and for all, but like most Spanish officials, Zuniga was jealous of his honor and reputation. [Note: For most Spaniards, states Pedro Calderon de la Barca in his play, The Mayor of Zalamea, “honour is the patrimony of the soul.” Certainly Zuniga meant to protect his honor and his reputation.] Exoneration by the Council of the Indies was not sufficient vindication. Corcoles and Ruiz had tarnished his good name, and he meant to get revenge on them. He therefore embarked upon a rigorous campaign to malign Corcoles and to bring him under royal suspicion. In an acrimonious letter to Philip V, Zuniga pointed out that his successor had misappropriated subsidy money and had become personally rich through peculation and graft. Florida, claimed Zuniga from his post far away in Cartagena, had fallen into a lamentable state because of Corcoles’ mismanagement of the annual subsidy. [Note: Consejo de las Indias 8/17/1713 discusses Zuniga’s charges against Benavides. Amy: does he mean Corcoles here?] Initially Zuniga was successful in persuading his superiors of the ineptness and corruption of the Florida governor. In fact soon after the Council received Zuniga’s report, it recommended to Philip V that Corcoles be relieved and that his administration be carefully investigated. [Note: Consejo de las Indias 8/17/1713] Shortly afterwards, however, a closer look at Zuniga’s charges indicated that no irregularities had occurred in Florida. A legal adviser for the Council painstakingly audited all Florida accounts for the years 1706 to 1710 and found them in perfect order. Even for the year 1709, on which the former governor’s accusations had centered, the accounts showed no discrepancies. Moreover, the report of the legal adviser pointed out that Corcoles had provided for the defense and welfare of the colony and was a model of gubernatorial virtue. [Note: Consejo de las Indias 9/22/1713] Corcoles thus lingered in office until 1716 without any further encounters with his superiors in Spain; Zuniga, serving in Cartagena, was unsuccessful in getting revenge on his successor for besmirching his reputation. (Tepaske GSF)
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