[BlueDragon]

"They were Huguenots and they were pirates."
"There's no presumption about it."

Not exactly, according to all historical accounts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Augustine,_Florida

Later that year some mutineers from Fort Caroline fled the colony and turned pirate, attacking Spanish vessels in the Caribbean. The Spanish used this as a catalyst to locate and destroy Fort Caroline, fearing it would serve as a base for future piracy, and wanting to dissuade further French colonization. The Spanish quickly dispatched Pedro Menéndez de Avilés to go to Florida and establish a base from which to attack the French.[2]

Would it have changed anything if he had?

Hard to say, but it would not have been as damaging if he had stuck to the "here be pirates" thesis you openly prefer, rather than the "here be heretics" declaration which he brazenly did.

His doing so lends more credence to the thing being one of religion & empire, rather than a just policing of criminal matters.

Who knows? Without this additional act of hatred, more fuel for the fire of religious/political power struggles, perhaps even the later St. Batholomew's Day Massacre itself could have been avoided? And if so, the world may well have been able to retain Gaspard II de Coligny's written history of the French civil wars of that period, for it was burned by Catherine de' Medici(?) after his murder. I guess she wanted to cover a few people's tracks, eh?

On a more practical note perhaps, if the slaughter had not had such fiercely religious overtones, then the later mistrust of Catholics in the developing New World colonies would have had one less bloody massacre, historical "incident" to serve as cause for such mistrust, which only later and slowly were overcome.

"...If you want to proceed with portraying these people as just peaceful Huguenots minding their own business..." Putting words in my mouth? What's up with that?

"...It would be a denial of the truth, but don't let that interfere..." Ok, so now I see. You think I said;

In two incidents Menéndez fought the Calvinists to a point of surrender, took them prisoner—and offered to spare their lives if they swore allegiance to the Roman Church. When they refused he executed them all.

That wasn't me, and I have no direct source for that at this time, but there are strong hints in the information we have both viewed, that that too very likely occurred.

[Titanites]

Not exactly, according to all historical accounts.

Wikipedia is hardly "all historical accounts".

Hard to say, but it would not have been as damaging if he had stuck to the "here be pirates" thesis you openly prefer, rather than the "here be heretics" declaration which he brazenly did. His doing so lends more credence to the thing being one of religion & empire, rather than a just policing of criminal matters.

I don't openly prefer anything but the truth. That they were Huguenots is secondary. Spain was at war with France, and their shipping lanes were being pirated by the French. To help resolve this matter, the King sent Menendez to clear them from Florida not simply because they were Huguenots, but to protect his interests.

Who knows? Without this additional act of hatred, more fuel for the fire of religious/political power struggles, perhaps even the later St. Batholomew's Day Massacre itself could have been avoided?

That is pure speculation that is very improbable. The Huguenots turning against the French Monarchy, the invasion of a Huguenot army into Hainault, and the attempted assassination of Coligny all led up to the massacre.

I guess she wanted to cover a few people's tracks, eh?

On a more practical note perhaps, if the slaughter had not had such fiercely religious overtones, then the later mistrust of Catholics in the developing New World colonies would have had one less bloody massacre, historical "incident" to serve as cause for such mistrust, which only later and slowly were overcome.

Rumors and silly theories don't make for accurate history.

there are strong hints in the information we have both viewed, that that too very likely occurred.

They aren't that strong. But even if it were true, it would just be a side story that Protestants would squeeze for all its worth. We know the reason Menendez was sent by the King to clear them from Florida was because they were French interlopers threatening the shipping lanes. Not because they were Huguenots.