Devils Nor is it without reason that they appear so odious and abominable to these poor Creatures since the Actions they see 'em commit are more like those of Devils than of reasonable Creatures or Christians For while the Indians see the Officers as well as Souldiers commit such detestable Crimes they believe the Laws of Christianity authorize these inhuman Actions and that neither our God nor our King forbids ' em 'T is to no purpose to pretend to undeceive 'em and remove these Prejudices as the Case stands 't is but only to expose the Laws and Religion of Christ the more to the Contempt of these Idolaters The Indians now begin to defend themselves from the Spaniards by force of Arms and choose rather to perish together at once than to suffer a thousand deaths by the Cruelty of these unmerciful Men. Your Majesty has more Servants in this New World than you imagine for there are none who bear Arms in these vast Countries and make it their business to plunder kill and burn but give out that they are employ'd here in your Majesty's business and endeavour to perswade the World that 't is by your Majesty's Order and for your Interest that they do all this Mischief to the Indians tho the Truth is they use 'em after this violent manner only to enrich themselves by plundering 'em of all they have It seems absolutely necessary for your Majesty to stop the Course of these Robbers by some Exemplary Punishment and that your Majesty declare you will have none of their Services who so highly dishonour God and Religion Thus far the Letter which the Bishop of St. Martha wrote to his Catholick Majesty By which it may be conjectur'd how the Spaniards have abus'd the poor Indians They in derision and scorn call those the Warlike Indians that fly into the Mountains to save their Lives And when they force these miserable People to travel in rough and difcult ways sweating under the great Burdens they oblige 'em to carry not content with having overloaded 'em they aggravate their misery by beating 'em unmercifully and bruising their Faces with the pommels of their Swords till the poor Wretches driven to despair with all this Oppression often cry out I can hold out no longer kill me out-right put an end to my Miseries by a speedy Death And many deep sighs accompany these Expressions which sometimes they are scarce able to utter their Strength is so exhausted with their Toil their Weariness and the unmerciful Blows which they give 'em without any regard to their other Miseries Of the Province of Carthagena THIS Province is situate about 50 Leagues distance from that of St. Martha Westward and borders on the Country of Cenu it stretches along the Sea-shore as far as the Gulf of Voaba the space of a hundred Leagues and is still larger on the South-side All this Country from the year 1498. to this time hath suffer'd great Persecutions from the Spaniards who have exercised a World of violence and made a great many Massacres here till they have made all this Country as desolate as that of St. Martha But I begin to be weary of mentioning so often the Barbarity and Impiety the Spaniards have discovered in America Of the Pearl-Coast and the Island of Trinidado THE Spaniards have made horrible Ravage and Spoil from the Coast of Paria quite to the Gulf of Venecuela which is the space of above 200 Leagues and after having committed their wonted Robberies have taken as many Indians as they could and either sold 'em or made Slaves of 'em themselves contrary to the promises often made 'em that they would treat 'em as their Friends and as a free People which Protestations they never took care to observe And tho these poor People did 'em all the good Offices they could and were very ready to serve 'em on all occasions tho they liberally gave 'em all they had to subsist on themselves yet 't is not to be express'd with what Injuries and Mischiefs the Spaniards requited all this kindness I purposely omit a great many Disorders which they committed along this Coast being willing to insist only on those matters that are most remarkable The Isle of Trinidado is larger and more fruitful than that of Sicily it is join'd to the Continent on that side where it touches Paria the Inhabitants are a very honest sort of People teachable enough and well inclin'd to Virtue A Spanish Captain accompanied with 60 Cut-throats like himself invaded this Country in the year 1510 and immediately commanded the Indians to come to him pretending he was come to live peaceably with them in the Island who receiv'd him and his Company with as great Testimonies of kindness as if they had been their own Children The chief men of the Country as well as the common People all waited on 'em with abundance of alacrity and joy they every day brought 'em a quantity of Provisions sufficient for a much greater number of men For the Indians are very much given to hospitality and readily supply Strangers with all the Necessaries they have In a little time the Spaniards would needs make 'em build a vast house that all the Indians might lodg together in the same place they us'd this Artifice to catch 'em in the snare they were preparing for ' em When the work was carried up about the height of two men they inclos'd a great many Indians within that the work might be the sooner finish'd as they pretended but the design was to hinder any Communication between them that were within and those that were without part of the Souldiers kept the doors of the house with their Weapons in their hands to prevent any from going out another part went in among 'em with their naked Swords threatning to cut their Throats if they made any stir or disturbance and so bound 'em all like so many Sheep If any one attempted to make his escape they immediately cut him in pieces however divers of 'em escaped some whole and others wounded who joining with those that had not yet been shut up in this fatal House and arming themselves with Bows and Arrows to the number of 200 retir'd into another House where they thought themselves secure if they could defend the door against the Spaniards but these set it on fire on the other side and cruelly destroy'd these poor Creatures After this barbarous Expedition they retreated into the Island of St. John with about 180 Prisoners who had suffer'd themselves to be bound where they sold half of 'em and the rest in Hispaniola When I severely reprov'd this Captain for his perfidiousness and cruelty he satisfied himself with making me this answer Don't you trouble your self about these matters they that sent me gave me Orders to act after this manner and to take all those by force that I could not bring away under the shadow and pretence of Peace The Spaniards were guilty of a world of
AN ACCOUNT Of the First VOYAGES and DISCOVERIES Made by the SPANIARDS in America Containing The most Exact Relation hitherto publish'd of their unparallel'd Cruelties on the Indians in the destruction of above Forty Millions of People With the Propositions offer'd to the King of Spain to prevent the further Ruin of the West-Indies By Don Bartholomew de las Casas Bishop of Chiapa who was an Eye-witness of their Cruelties Illustrated with Cuts To which is added The Art of Travelling shewing how a Man may dispose his Travels to the best advantage LONDON Printed by J. Darby for D. Brown at the Black Swan and Bible without Temple-Bar J. Harris at the Harrow in Little Britain and Andr. Bell at the Cross-kevs and Bible in Cornhil M. DC.XC.IX THE CONTENTS THE Introduction page 1. A particular Account of what the Spaniards did in Hispaniola 6. Of the Kingdoms contain'd in the Island of Hispaniola 9. Of the Islands of St. John and Jamaica 18. Of the Island of Cuba 19. Of the Continent 23. Of the Province of Nicaraqua 28. Of New Spain 32. A more particular Account of New Spain 34. Of the Kingdom of Guatimala 41. Of New Spain of Panuco and Xalisco 47. Of the Kingdom of Yucatan 52. Of the Province of St. Martha 60. Of the Province of Carthagena 63. Of the Pearl-Coast and the Island of Trinidado 64. Of the River Yuya-pari 73. Of the Kingdom of Vencuela 74. Of the Provinces of the Continent call'd Florida 80. Of the River de la Plata or Silver River 82. Of the great Kingdoms and Provinces of Peru. 84. A Letter from Frier Mark de Xlicia to the King of Spain against the Cruelties of the Spaniards 87. Of the new Kingdom of Grenada 92. A Letter of Bartholomew de las Casas concerning the Spanish Cruelties in the Well-Indies 100. A Fragment of a Letter relating to the same Affair 104. The Bishop of Chiapa's Discourse to the King of Spain in order to prevent the ruin of the West-Indies 115. His Propositions concerning the Title of the Kings of Spain to America 138. A Dispute between the Bishop of Chiapa and Dr. Sepulueda concerning the lawfulness of the Wars made by the Spaniards on the Indians 150 The Bp of Chiapa's further Sentiments of that affair 160 His Reasons at large for subjecting the West-Indies to the Crown of Spain and thereby preventing the Ravages of the Spaniards there c. 184. Newly publish'd AN Inquiry concerning Virtue in two Discourses the first of Virtue and the belief of a Deity the second of thâ—â— Obligations to Virtue Price bound in Calf 3 s. An Argument shewing that a Standing Army is inconsistent with a Free Government and absolutely destructive to the Libertie of this Nation In two Parts Price 12 d. A Letter from the Author of the Argument against a Standing Army to the Author of the Balancing Letter Price 3 d. The Militia Reform'd or an easy Scheme of furnishing England with a constant Land-Force capable to prevent or to subdue any foren Power and to maintain perpetual Quiet at home without endangering the Public Liberty Price 12 d. A Letter to a Member of Parliament shewing that a Restraint oâ— the Press is inconsistent with the Protestant Religion and dangerous to the Liberties of the Nation Price 6 d. A Letter to his Majesty King William concerning the Expedients us'd by his Predecessors to support the English Monarchy Price 6 d. Some Remarks on the Providences of God to this Nation during the four last Reigns The 2 d Edition By Slings by Bethel Esq Price bound 12 d. Discourses concerning Government by Algernon Sidney Son to Robert Earl of Leicester and Ambassador from the Common-wealth of England to Charles Gustavus King of Sweden Published from an Original Manuscript of the Author Price bound Sixteen Shillings The PREFACE AMerica was first discover'd by Christopher Columbus a Genoese in the year 1492 in the Name of Ferdinando King of Arragon but takes its Name from Americus Vespucius a Florentine who discover'd the Country of Brezil five years after by order of Emanuel King of Portugal The Europeans had no sooner enter'd on this vast Continent and the Islands about it but the Natives shew'd 'em all imaginable Kindness and Respect and were ready to worship 'em as Gods but these soon took care to convince 'em of their Error and to deliver 'em from the danger of falling into this sort of Idolatry by treating 'em with all manner of Cruelties and tormenting 'em like so many Devils so that these barbarous People receiv'd as great a turn in their thoughts concerning the Spaniards as the Barbarians of the Island of Melita did in respect of St. Paul for as these believ'd him to be a God whom they had just before taken for a Murderer so the other really found them to be Murderers whom they had a little before esteem'd as so many Gods The following Relation of the Destruction of many Millions of Indians by all the inhuman methods the Spaniards could invent would appear incredible were not the truth of it confess'd and attested by the Spaniards themselves and among others especially by Don Bartholomew de las Casas Bishop of Chiapa who made large Complaints of these Cruelties to the King of Spain and to the Royal Council for the Indies with a design to put a stop to 'em if possible That he is a Person of irreproachable Credit in this case will appear by the following account wherein he challenges all the World to disprove the truth of the matters of Fact he asserts while he stood the Test of a Court who could easily have detected him if he had attempted to impose on 'em by a malicious Falshood This Bishop writes with such an Air of Honesty Sincerity and Charity as would very well have become one of a better Religion than that in which he had the unhappiness to be educated It may well surprize the Reader to hear a Spanish Prelat declaim so loudly against Persecution and plead so freely for Liberty of Conscience in a Country subjugated to the Inquisition To hear him in his dispute against Doctor Sepulueda decry all methods of Violence for the propagation of the Truth as more sutable to the Maxims of Mahometism than the Principles of Christianity To hear him assert the Natural Right of all Mankind to Liberty and Property and inveigh against all Vsurpation and Tyranny in the smartest Terms is enough to move any one's Wonder and Pity too when on the other hand 't is observ'd how much he magnifies the Power and Authority of the Pope in some of his Propositions contain'd in the following Treatise But all may serve to convince one how great an advantage or disadvantage a Man has as he pleads the Cause of Truth or Error and of the great difference there is between the genuin Language of Reason and good Sense and the servil Prejudices of Bigotry and Superstition 'T is no less a Subject of Admiration that a Book
this River to penetrate farther into the Country and to ravage and spoil it He massacred abundance of People in his way laid the Country waste with Fire and Sword and ruin'd them by whole Families while they were peaceably enjoying themselves in their Houses and thought of nothing less But after all this mischief himself perish'd miserably and his Souldiers quarrel'd and destroy'd one another They that afterwards came into this Country succeeded him in his Cruelties and are still laying it waste they commit abundance of Massacres and Robberies there with Impunity and seem to undertake their long Voyages and Journeys on purpose to precipitate an infinite number of Souls into Hell that were redeem'd by the Blood of the Son of God Of the Kingdom of Vençuela IN the year 1526 the King of Spain abus'd by the Artifices of some ill-designing People who made use of a thousand fetches and excuses to conceal from him the great Devastations the Spaniards had made in the new World to the great prejudice of the Glory of God the Christian Religion and the Salvation of the poor Indians gave the Government of the Kingdom of Vençuela which is bigger than all Spain to several Flemish Merchants with full Jurisdiction and Power to do what they pleas'd there and to dispose of the Country as they thought convenient They accordingly enter'd it with three hundred Men and found the People there to be of a meek tractable and peaceful Disposition as indeed the Indians generally are when left to their natural Temper and not enrag'd by the Abuses so often offer'd ' em These were still more brutish and cruel than those Spaniards of whom we have been hitherto speaking They exceeded Tygers Wolves and Lions in Barbarity when they saw themselves Masters of this great Kingdom in possession of it and the Jurisdiction of it entirely put into their hands they thought they had ample liberty to do there whatever they pleas'd and that they might satisfy their Covetousness at any rate and by all the methods they could imagine tho never so unjust They took no care but how to heap up vast Treasures of Gold and Silver and the abominable means they us'd to this end shew'd they had no regard either to God or their Prince nay they seem'd to have utterly forgotten that themselves were Men having put on such an inhuman and savage Fierceness or to come yet nearer to their true Character they appear'd like so many Devils in the shape of Men. They ran through these rich and pleasant Provinces and instantly laid the Country waste for forty Leagues together wherein were fruitful Vallies of a prodigious extent and Towns and Villages stor'd with great quantities of Gold The destruction they made was so general that scarce a Man was left to carry the News of the Cruelties they exercised in this Kingdom to other Provinces none but those that hid themselves in Caves and Holes of the Earth could escape the Sword of these furious and inhuman Creatures They invented new kinds of Punishments wherewith to torment 'em to force 'em to part with their Gold by discovering the places where they had hid it After this manner they destroy'd three or four Millions of People The Instances of three or four Facts will sufficiently discover how these Brutes behav'd themselves in this Kingdom One of the first things they did was to seize him whom they look'd upon as the Soveraign Prince of the whole Kingdom they loaded him with Irons to get the more Gold out of him they endeavour'd by the Tortures to which they put him to make him discover the places where he had secur'd his Treasures but he had the good fortune to escape their hands and fly into the Mountains His Subjects surrounded him and hid him in the Woods but their number was too great to be long conceal'd so that the Spaniards pursued 'em with Swords in their hands and made a dreadful Massacre among 'em others of them they took alive and sold for Slaves Before the Spaniards had took their King Prisoner they were receiv'd in all these Provinces with singing dancing and all the highest demonstrations of Joy as if come to bring Peace and Plenty with 'em into the Country They frankly and voluntarily gave 'em immense Sums of Gold and Silver for which all the Compensation they had was to be run through and cut with Lances and Swords and massacred without pity One day when they came out to meet the Spaniards to do 'em the more honour the Flemish Commander having order'd a great number of 'em to assemble together in a certain House cut 'em all in pieces immediately only some of the poor Wretches got upon the Beams to avoid the fury of the Souldiers upon which this Commander caus'd the House to be fir'd and destroy'd them in the Flames The whole Country was soon turn'd into a Desert for all that escap'd the Souldiers Rage retir'd into the Mountains The Spaniards after this pass'd into a vast Province upon the Confines of that of St. Martha where they found the Natives following their ordinary business in profound Peace All the while they continued here they liv'd at the charge of the Indians who serv'd 'em with as much Affection and Diligence as if they had ow'd their Lives to 'em nay they bore with their troublesom Humors and continually receiv'd ill Treatment from 'em with incredible Patience The Indians moreover to qualify their ill Temper brought 'em a prodigious quantity of Gold and many other things of great value Yet these Tyrants when upon the point of leaving 'em instead of gratefully acknowledging all the good Offices they had receiv'd of 'em resolv'd to put 'em all to the Sword The Flemish General who has since been suppos'd to be a Heretick because he never went to Mass himself nor suffer'd others to go commanded his Men to take all the Indians with their Wives and Children and put 'em into some very large place capable of containing 'em all and then to declare to 'em that if they had a mind to redeem their Liberty with that of their Wives and Children they must necessarily lay down a certain Sum which this unjust Governor had tax'd 'em according to his own capricious Humour and to urge 'em the more to answer his Requirement he barbarously prohibited his Men to give any Victuals to these poor Creatures till each of 'em had paid the Sum impos'd on him Many of 'em sent to their Houses for the Sum demanded being willing to do what they could to redeem their Liberty and to have leave to go seek something to eat Yet they were no sooner got out of the Clutches of this covetous Governor but he instantly sent Soldiers to take 'em again and subject 'em to the same Confinement from which they had ransom'd themselves with so much difficulty so that they dy'd in this Captivity with Hunger and Thirst unless they speedily bought their Liberty again which they forc'd 'em
and embrace his Word that they may be sav'd And I cannot choose but extremely pity Spain my native Country because I am greatly afraid God will utterly destroy it for the enormous Crimes committed by the Spaniards who go into the Indies both against God against the King and against their Neighbours I don't doubt but divers illustrious Persons of this Court who are truly zealous for the Salvation of Souls are very sensibly touch'd with the Calamities and Miseries those multitudes of poor Creatures suffer in the New World who are abandon'd to the fury of the Spanish Souldiers I resolv'd long ago to draw up an exact relation of these matters but have been still hinder'd by the continual urgency of those affairs in which I have been engag'd till now However I have at length accomplish'd this design at Valence the 8 th of December Anno 1542. This Treatise gives a short account of the Violence Tyranny Persecutions Robberies Massacres and Devastations committed by the Spaniards in all the parts of America where they have dispers'd themselves These Calamities and Disorders are advanc'd to a degree that surpasses all belief and is the more surprizing in that the Spaniards are much less furious and cruel every where else Indeed the People of Mexico and of the places adjacent are now treated much better than others insomuch that no body there dares offer violence to any Indian openly 'T is true they exact immense Sums of 'em but the forms of Justice are at least so observ'd that the People are protected from the Insults and Affronts of such as have more power than themselves I have great hope our Illustrious Lord Charles the Fifth Emperor and King of Spain who begins to take cognizance of the Tyranny and ill behaviour of the Spaniards toward the Indians will undertake the protection of these miserable People who are persecuted against his will as well as against the will of God All the miseries that have bin inflicted on these newly discover'd Nations have bin hitherto conceal'd from our Prince with no less subtilty and address than malice Yet now 't is not to be doubted but this wise Emperor into whose hands God has cast the Government of those vast Regions and who bears so sincere an affection to Justice will give effectual Orders to put a stop to these Persecutions May God preserve this Illustrious Emperor in all the Glory and Prosperity that attends him for the Salvation of his Soul and the Preservation of the Church Amen A year after the writing of all of these matters above recited there were published in the City of Madera certain Laws and Constitutions made by his Majesty at Barcelona in the month of December in the year 1542. which were calculated according to the urgent necessity of Affairs to rectify the Disorders that were then commited with so much Insolence both against God and Man to the utter destruction and desolation of the New World For the constituting of these wise Laws his Majesty assembled a great many Persons illustrious both for their Quality and Learning and moreover endued with great Piety who deliberated on these important Affairs in divers Sessions at Valladolid At length by the unanimous Consent of the whole Assembly divers Propositions were ratified and publish'd and which appear the more conformable to the Rules of Christianity in as much as the Persons who compos'd this famous Assembly had never been any way concern'd in the Outrages offer'd the Indians they were such as had neither wash'd their hands in their Blood nor reap'd any advantage by the immense Treasures that had been taken from 'em with so much Violence after the murder of incredible numbers of innocent People For the Avarice and Cruelty of those Spaniards who first set foot in America have been the fatal Causes of all the Miseries that new World has undergon After the publication of these new Orders for regulating the Affairs of the Indies the Protectors of those cruel Tyrants who had still some Credit at Court procur'd several Precepts to constitute Officers to send into divers Provinces of the Indies for they were much concern'd to see the course of their Violence likely to be stop'd and their wonted Robberies and Extortions obstructed And thus they to whom the care of suppressing these Disorders and preventing the farther Insults of these Tyrants was committed made no conscience of violating that Equity and Fidelity they ow'd both to God and their Prince for they knew very well what effect the Edicts that were made must needs have and therefore alarm'd the People before the arrival of the Judges who were sent to the Indies to publish the Laws of their Prince and to put 'em in execution so that as soon as these Judges came into America they appear'd to be of the same stamp with those that sent 'em and neither regarded God nor Man they immediately forgot the King's Orders and laid aside the Reverence due to so great a Prince and being willing to take part with those Tyrants that they might have a share of the Booty behav'd themselves with a Cruelty beyond imagination and justified those Villanies which they were sent to punish So that since the year 1542 such Rapine and Violence has been committed in Peru that the like has not been heard of either in the Indies or any other part of the World Nor do they exercise their Cruelty only on the Indians whom they have almost exterminated but are suffer'd by the just Judgment of God to turn their Arms one against another with great fury to their mutual destruction Some of the People of this new World under the protection of these Rebels were encourag'd to refuse Obedience to the Emperor's Orders others pretending they were desirous to address Petitions to his Imperial Majesty have suffer'd themselves to be carried down the stream with the rest and have revolted too For the Spaniards are not easily perswaded to surrender those Treasures they have unjustly usurped or to release those Indians whom they have inslav'd If they don't so often massacre 'em they increase the weight of their Irons and impose Laws on 'em more and more unjust and rigorous And the King with all his Authority has not yet been able to stop the course of these Mischiefs because they are generally link'd together in a Confederacy both small and great and all use the licentious trade of robbing and spoiling more or less according to their power some more publickly and others after a clandestine manner But that which yet further discovers the Boldness and Insolence of these Hypocrites is that they still make pretences that they consult nothing but the King's Interest and the Glory of God in all they do while 't is most apparent they are continually robbing the King and that with impunity and are always dishonouring God and Religion by their criminal and scandalous Practices That which next follows is a Fragment of a Letter of a certain Person who accompanied the
out some of my own Subjects for 'em therefore I desire the liberty to take some of yours and you shall have as many of mine for ' em I am content would the other say and the rather because I my self am oblig'd to pay such a Tribute as you are and to seek for Slaves out of my own Country to satisfy the Spaniards The Caciques themselves were wont to bring these poor Slaves to be mark'd and were made to swear they were none of their Subjects but that they had taken 'em among their Neighbors which was true but the Spaniards were never the less guilty in constraining 'em so to do The Governors that knew their injustice and roguery wink'd at it and would never accuse any of 'em of these prevarications before the Judges of the Royal Council for they made it no part of their care to perform their Duty to God and the King faithfully nor did they seem to be touch'd with the least Compassion in observing all the violence committed against those miserable People I could produce a multitude of proofs to confirm what I say but one shall suffice at present There came an Order from the King to the Governor of the Province of Nicaraqua to forbid him to inslave any Indians or to brand him with the King's Arms at the same time there was a Ship in the Road that was design'd to be fill'd with Slaves which made the Governor forbear to publish the Order he had receiv'd till the Vessel was laden with Indians and ready to set sail nay he privately gave notice to those that were concern'd in the Ship to make what haste they could and carry away as many Slaves as they needed because the King had sent an express Prohibition to hinder any from being inslaved for the future It was once matter of Astonishment to see the fruitfulness plenty and multitude of Inhabitants that fill'd the Province of Honduras and 't is now as deplorable to behold the Misery Desolation and want to People there which resemble it to a melancholy Wilderness The Governor of this Province made use of a trick not much unlike that of which we have been speaking He ow'd a great Sum of Mony to some Merchants for Wine and other Commodities he had bought of 'em who had their Vessels in the Port and expected this Governor to pay 'em in Slaves But the Emperor's Order forbidding him to make any Slaves in this Province being very strict he durst not take up Indians publicly to pay his debts for fear of provoking the Emperor by acting directly against his Command He therefore sent out two of his Captains one to the Sea-Coast and the other farther up into the Continent with Orders to take up such Indians as were likely to make the least noise and disturbance by their Complaints these he order'd to be embarqued and to prevent to himself any danger from the Court he pretended these Indians were seditious Persons and Malefactors whom he was oblig'd to banish because it would have been of ill consequence to have let 'em remain in their Country This was the Pretext under which he sold 'em for Slaves to pay his Debts And with this sort of Coin the Spaniards us'd to buy all sorts of Commodities that came from Europe and whatever else they thought necessary So that 't is no wonder that those fine and rich Provinces are become forlorn Deserts since this Trade of buying and selling Slaves has been allow'd which was first practis'd in Hispaniola Sometimes the Spaniards to deceive the Indians would perswade 'em they should go with them into Spain when they design'd only to carry 'em to the Isle of Cuba and sell 'em there And there are many still at Havana that were taken after this manner for when other Spaniards heard of the Stratagems their Countrymen us'd to impose on the poor Indians they would use the same Tricks and brag of 'em instead of being asham'd so that the World has been sufficiently inform'd of these Artifices The Miseries and Desolations of the Provinces of Nicaraqua and Guatimala of the greatest part of Mexico Tabesco and Panuco are incontestible Proofs of the Cruelties and other Crimes of the Spaniards The Archbishop of Mexico wrote an Account of 'em by way of complaint to the Royal Council for the Indies wherein he inform'd 'em that the Governor had loaded twenty eight Ships with Slaves The Governor of the Province of Xalisco took for his own Share 4560 Slaves Men Women and Children some of whom were but one others two or three years old all was fish that came to net besides an infinit number that other Spaniards took in this Province against the King's express Orders who was much displeas'd that those People should be inslav'd who ought to have bin instructed in the knowledge of the true God and of the Christian Religion in order to their Salvation Those Flemish Merchants that got possession of the Kingdom of Vençuela to pillage and destroy it made horrible Spoil there for the space of twenty years That all I say is the very Truth may better appear by consulting the Archives of the Royal Council which are full of complaints against the insidious Contrivances of the Spaniards and the great Violences they have committed to enslave the poor Indians These poor Wretches have no body to interceed for 'em or to protect 'em and are always in great consternation because continually expos'd to the insults of their Enemies who oppress 'em without being call'd to account for it So that they despair of relief not knowing to whom to address themselves for justice Now seeing the Artifices that have bin us'd to inslave these poor Creatures are so unjust and tyrannical and seeing these People as well as others are born free it follows that the Spaniards have acted contrary to the Law of Nations in inslaving all those Indians whom they have taken for that end ever since the Discovery of the New World and have by their Violences evidently transgress'd the Law of God and Nature To prove yet farther that the Spaniards are oblig'd to restore those Indians their Liberty whom they yet detain in bondage there 's only need of making one reflection namely that the Law of God obliges us to make restitution of every thing we have taken unjustly from our Neighbours and to make reparation for the injuries done 'em and without doing thus 't is impossible to be sav'd Upon this Principle 't is evident that the Spaniards ought to release their Indians Slaves and to do what in 'em lies to make 'em amends for the wrong they have done 'em against all Law and Equity for 't is not to be suppos'd the sin will be forgiven till what has bin unjustly taken away is restor'd and consequently the Spaniards who have treated the poor Indians after so ill a manner and yet don't go about to make 'em satisfaction are under the guilt of a mortal Sin To make this appear yet
administration of the Affairs of the Church From hence it may fairly be concluded that the King of Spain ought to use his power to render Justice to the poor Indians who are so tyrannically oppress'd and to strengthen the hands of the Ministers of the Church in the Indies by his Authority who are not able to make any progress by their Ministry among the Natives nor to reclaim the Spaniards from their Vices while they are suffer'd to afflict and persecute the poor Indians because these continual Violences and their fix'd resolution to persist in 'em are habitual Sins At present they regard not at all the Remonstrances and Menaces of Prelats or Ecclesiastical Censures but go on adding Sin to Sin in so much that the Church in the Indies is in a forlorn condition and under great difficulties so that the Indians ought to be set free that the Obstructions lying in the way of their Salvation may be remov'd and that they may the better be engag'd to submit to the Doctrin that is preach'd to 'em For by this means Christian Pastors will have a full liberty to exercise their Ministry and to discharge their Apostolic Functions The Bishops of America are oblig'd by the Law of God continually to sollicit his Majesty and his Royal Council to deliver the Indians from the Oppression under which they groan and to give 'em their former Liberty because these Bishops are necessarily engag'd by their Character to do the best they can for the discharge of their Pastoral Office which consists in governing and teaching the People under their Conduct and in providing for all their spiritual necessities as also in securing 'em as well as they can from any temporal Injury and in rescuing 'em from the hands of Oppressors especially when the Vexations they suffer are so many stumbling blocks in the way of their Salvation Nor ought they to be wanting in procuring 'em all the temporal Advantages they can The Dominican and Franciscan Friers are very pious and prudent and deserve to be highly commended in that they have agreed to refuse absolution to all the Spaniards of New Spain who keep Indian Slaves and to oblige 'em to bring this affair under examination before the Royal Council in conformity to the Laws newly made tho they would have done better not to have had recourse to this Tribunal These Monks know very well by experience what unjust and deceitful Methods have been us'd to inslave the Indians and can't doubt but God has been highly offended by these Violences and that those who have committed 'em are oblig'd to repair the Injuries of which they have been guilty A Confessor who undertakes to hear Mens Confessions one who officiates in quality of a Bishop or Curat as a spiritual Judg ought to understand the Obligations of his Ministry and to have that knowledg and prudence which is requisite to perform it after a becoming manner that he may pass a wise and just Judgment on all matters propos'd to him and rightly discern what wrong is offer'd to any oppressed Party If his ignorance or negligence is the cause of his Mistake so that he obliges not his Penitent to restore any ill-gotten goods he commits a great Sin and is himself bound to make restitution and amends for the Injustice done the offended Party Just as a Physician who has through ignorance done some considerable Mischief to his Patient or occasion'd his death ought to make some special Reparation for his fault The same may be said of Judges that pass an unrighteous Sentence while they are ignorant of the Law or take no care to inform themselves of the merit of the Cause before 'em because such neglect and ignorance are criminal and they ought to know the matters on which they are intrusted to pass a Judgment 'T is certain all the Ecclesiastical Persons in New Spain are well assur'd that the Indians have been inslav'd and are still kept in bondage contrary to all Law and Equity and therefore are not oblig'd to refer the Examination of this Affair to the Royal Council besides there are all sorts of tricks and devices used to divert the Council from taking cognizance of the matter lest they should suppress those vexatious Practices His Majesty ought with all speed to issue out his Orders for the release of these miserable People and so much the rather because the oppression they are under is the occasion of the ruin of an infinit number of Souls And this is the only way to reclaim the Spaniards from the habit of a mortal Sin and to put the Prelats in a condition freely to acquit themselves of their Ecclesiastical Functions Among all the Expedients Frier Don Bartholomew de Las-Casas Bishop of the Royal City of Chiapa propos'd for the reestablishment of Peace and Tranquillity in America the most effectual was that of directly subjecting all the West-Indies to the Crown of Spain that so the Spanish Lords might be uncapable of making the Indians their own Subjects and Vassals And he supported this Proposal with many very cogent Reasons First he says the Princes and People of the New World being Infidels and their Conversion to our holy Faith appearing necessary 't is very proper they should be under the Protection of a Catholic and powerful King who has a true zeal for the honor and propagation of the Christian Religion and might send able Missionaries into the New World to bring those Idolaters to the knowledg of the true God and to embrace our Divine Religion and submit themselves to the Holy See And hence it appears that nothing can be more advantageous to the Indians than to put themselves under the protection of Catholic Princes that no particular Lords may be capable of taking possession of 'em as their Property This is what the Kings of Spain ought to regard without sharing with any others that Power and Authority they have acquired over the Indians for they ought to preserve this Jurisdiction immediately to themselves and not divide it to invest private Men with it And this is an Affair of so great consequence that no less than both the temporal and eternal Welfare of those Nations depend on it for the Conversion of the New World would be a very advantageous thing to the Commonwealth 'T is neither just nor possible to abandon this Jurisdiction to private Persons since none but the King can be invested with it because when the Pope has once made choice of any Person or Power for this Affair it ought not to be delegated or entrusted to another When he has in this matter declar'd himself in favor of any Person illustrious by his Character and Merit who has a perfect knowledg of any Cause he may have to determin 't is to be presum'd he 'l pass such a Judgment as the Pope himself would have done Now 't is manifest that in the Case in question we have a Person cloth'd with Grandeur and Dignity seeing he is King
in that they are so far from acquitting themselves of this duty that with all their might they hinder others from informing 'em without being afraid of the Judgments of that God who will one day severely punish 'em for want of Charity to their Neighbours in witholding light from 'em tho they have so much need of Information They hinder the pious Missionaries from coming to preach to 'em lest they should become acquainted with their Vexations and Cruelties which are so great and strange that the Monks are seiz'd with horror when the Indians relate ' em And when they see with their own Eyes how miserably the Indians are treated they make it their business as they are bound in duty to God to oppose these Disorders They sometimes advertise the Judges of those Tribunals your Majesty has established there of these things to seek to redress 'em that way tho the means hitherto used have had very little effect because the Governors and Judges having a great many Indians themselves to whom they are unmerciful and cruel abuse their Power in oppressing these poor Creatures causing 'em to be punish'd rigorously for the slightest faults This is the true reason why the Monks are look'd upon as so many troublesom Spies and the Enemies of their temporal Interest so that they can't endure so much as to see 'em nor would they willingly tolerate 'em in the Country but often curse 'em and invent all sorts of Calumnies against ' em The poor Indians almost despair to see any end of their Miseries and having nothing to trust to but the Zeal and Charity of the Monks do love and reverence 'em as their Deliverers and Protectors still putting great Confidence in them under all their troubles they often come in Bodies out of their Towns and Cities to meet 'em But 't is a great mortification to the Spaniards to see the Indians pay these good Men so much respect and they take occasion from hence to reproach 'em pretending the Monks design to make themselves the Lords and Masters of these poor Wretches But God only knows what Labors and Hardships these Missionaries undergo and to what Extremity they are often reduc'd by poverty and hunger when they undertake great Journeys with inexpressible fatigue in rough and troublesom ways to assist the Indians and shew 'em the way of Salvation and to admonish the Spaniards of their enormous Sins in tormenting 'em so many ways in robbing and murdering 'em all which Violences call for large restitution if they expect to be sav'd Covetousness and Injustice reign more in the Indies than in all the World besides tho the Spaniards have no just right nor power there since they don't derive it of your Majesty The Indians are naturally timorous and cowardly or rather the ill Treatments and Cruelties of the Spaniards have terrified 'em to that degree that consternation and dread are become natural to 'em insomuch that they scarce remember they are Men. 'T is impossible for Men in their Condition to apply themselves to hear the preaching of the Gospel that so they might become Christians since the Spaniards so strenuously oppose it who ought therefore to give up the Title they have usurp'd over them ever since they made a Conquest of 'em as they are wont to boast They that have any Interest in a Governor's favor dispose of the Persons of the Indians as their proper Goods and divide 'em among themselves as if they were born absolute Vassals Two or three Spaniards will sometimes appropriate to themselves a whole Nation of Indians It may be the Master of the Family falls to the Lot of one his Wife to another and their Children to a third They are sent to the Mines loaded like Horses and forc'd to carry heavy Burdens a hundred or two hundred Leagues this is seen every day To obviate these Disorders it will not be sufficient that your Majesty demand your Tributes and threaten those with severe Punishment who shall presume to torment the Indians for the future or exact such Tasks of 'em as they are not justly oblig'd to perform for they 'l still persist in the same course As the severe Bondage of the Indians is a great obstacle to their Conversion on the one hand so on the other is the course taken to disperse 'em at a distance one from another whereby 't is almost impossible to assemble a considerable number of ' em Both these ways prevent their being instructed in our Religion and put in the way of Salvation 'T is necessary in order to their being fed with the Divine Word that they live in Society and be in a condition to be easily assembled and 't is as necessary they should enjoy an entire Liberty that they might voluntarily embrace the Word of God The Learned say there was no System of written Laws given by God in the time of Abraham because the Church was his Family and did not consist of any whole Nation Nor did God see good to give his Law to the Israelites while in Egypt tho they were then a numerous People and computed to be no less than six hundred thousand Men able to bear Arms because they were not a free People being yet in Captivity But the Almighty gave 'em his Law when these two conditions were found in 'em together namely when they were both Numerous and Free which was not till he had employ'd his Power to deliver 'em from the Yoke of Pharaoh But of all Laws that of the Gospel especially requires both these Conditions because it supposes Persons at liberty to seek to be instructed in it and to put the Precepts of it in practise And 't is very proper for those that observe the Laws of Christ to incorporate themselves and live in Societies that they may perform the solemn Acts of Divine Worship by the practice of the seven Sacraments and other Ceremonies of the Church 'T is necessary for Christians to meet together from time to time in public to hear the Word of God and assist at other parts of his Worship that so new Converts may be confirm'd in the manner of Life they have embrac'd for without these helps they would insensibly decline in their Zeal and might come even to lose their Faith In short if the Spaniards are permitted to keep the Indians scatter'd up and down on the Mountains and in the Vallies and to employ 'em perpetually in performing the unreasonable Tasks they exact of 'em it will be impossible to instruct 'em in our Religion to any purpose By what has been said your Majesty may very well conceive what Disorders reign in the Indies and how necessary 't is to hinder the Spaniards from retaining the Natives under so severe a Yoke and from proceeding to depopulate the Country as they have hitherto done And that which is yet more deplorable is that they suffer 'em to die without taking care to have the Sacraments administer'd to 'em having no more regard
it would be unjust to subject 'em to such new Masters as pretend to a right of exacting new Services of ' em The Taxes that are impos'd on any Estate should be proportionate to the Revenue that may be expected from it and there ought not to be more Homage and Service annex'd to it than is reasonable for the advantage of him that owns that Estate If inanimate things have this privilege how much more ought it to be so with Men who deserve to be us'd a little better Since therefore your Majesty's Government alone is sufficient for the welfare and advantage of the Indians to set other Lords over 'em would be to act contrary to Justice For who can deny it to be contrary to all the Laws of Equity to subject the Indians to the Spaniards who mind nothing but to raise Estates by making a Prey of ' em An 't is as opposit to Charity to add new Burdens to them that can scarce bear such as are already impos'd upon 'em and to increase the Calamities of such as are sufficiently beset with Affliction besides the pains they take for the subsistence of their Wives and Children Charity teaches to do to others as we would have them do to us to secure 'em from all the Evil we can and to relieve 'em in their Indigence when they address themselves to us and shew us their Necessities because we our selves are desirous of the Assistance of others when in distress The Laws of Christ are founded on such Maxims as these Do to others what you would have others do to you and Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self in which one word St. Paul says the whole Law is contain'd He farther says Bear ye one another's Burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ It is to be consider'd that all the Inhabitants of the New World are born free Nor do they lose this Liberty in recognizing your Majesty for their Soveraign and universal Emperor of the Indies On the contrary if there be any defects in their Polity your Majesty's Government may supply 'em by which their Liberty will be render'd the more compleat This was the design of that most Christian Princess Queen Isabella as appears by all the Writings she left about this Affair A few days before her Death she commanded General d' Alcantara then Governor of Hispaniola to treat all the Indians as a free People And in a general Assembly of Divines and Lawyers held at Burgos his Catholic Majesty declar'd in Council that the Inhabitants of America were free and commanded they should be treated as such The same was done by your Majesty after having consulted the most learned Divines and Canonists in the year 1523. Now if it be an incontestable Principle that all the Indians are free and that all of 'em that have been or shall be discover'd in time to come can't be subjected to any other Jurisdiction but that of your Majesty and that they own to your Majesty alone that Homage and Obedience which free Cities and Nations are oblig'd to pay their lawful Soveraign 't is most evident that no private Men can pretend to the same Nay they are more free in respect of us than other Nations because the Kings of Spain have no Title to 'em as their Subjects by right of Inheritance or that of Purchase or of Conquest as they might have had if they had been conquer'd in a lawful War that had bin formally declar'd for the revenge of some great Offence which the Indians might have commited against the Spaniards or against the universal Church or some very considerable Member of it for which they had refus'd Satisfaction when demanded or if they had unjustly retain'd any Lands or Goods of which they were unlawfully possess'd But on the contrary they have frankly and voluntarily submitted themselves to your Majesty And yet they have bin hitherto not only neglected but treated by the Spaniards as wild Beasts are by Hunters tho they never did any thing to deserve such ill usage They have yet seen nothing to convince 'em of your Majesty's Grandure Justice Goodness and Magnificence having found nothing but Tyranny Violence Injustice and Cruelty from the Spaniards your Subjects whose ill Actions and bad Examples render 'em infamous so that the Indians look upon 'em as the vilest of Men. And this makes 'em think upon the Kings of Spain with horror who yet never gave 'em occasion to entertain such thoughts of ' em But they fancy your Majesty perfectly knows all the ill treatment they endure and that 't is by your Consent and Approbation they believe 't is all done by your order and that you give your Protection and Favour to those that insult over ' em The Title your Majesty has to the Indians is founded only on the Obligation you have taken upon your self to have 'em instructed into the true Faith as appears by the Apostolic Briefs granted on this account which ought to engage your Majesty to moderate your Government so much the more and to treat 'em with the greater tenderness and kindness The Kings of Spain should signalize the First-fruits of their Soveraignty over the Indies by the tokens of Peace and Love to these People and by taking care to furnish 'em with good Examples In a word they ought to treat 'em as their Neighbors and natural Subjects for fear the commission of any Injustice or Cruelty among 'em should prejudice 'em against the Christian Faith and indispose 'em to receive the Counsils and Maxims of our Religion There should not be the least occasion given 'em on any account to blaspheme the Name of God which would be an Obstacle to the great end of their Conversion Nothing should be left undone that may make 'em love your Majesty and induce 'em to praise God on finding themselves under a Government so easy and commodious They deserve in some respect to be dealt with after this manner because of the freedom of their birth which makes it unjust for any to violate their Liberty 'T is necessary for the Honor of the Christian Religion that they embrace it voluntarily because God himself will have men make a free choice in matters of Religion nor is any man whatsoever to be treated with violence in this case and forc'd to embrace a Religion against his Will And temporal Princes commit a great piece of injustice if they put a force on the minds of their Subjects in a business wherein they ought to have an entire liberty of Conscience they should rather observe the Rules which God the Universal Soveraign of all his Creatures has constituted There is no Power or Authority on Earth that has a right to violate the Liberty of any People because 't is the most valuable thing they possess and preferable to all other things in the World Hence it is there are such advantageous Constitutions in the Civil Law in favor of Liberty And the particular Customs of the
of Spain a very good Christian and zealous for the Catholic Religion and the matter is of great importance because it concerns the preaching and propagation of the true Faith and Worship of God the Conversion of numerous Nations and the Government of 'em which is to be administred with Lenity and Prudence that Justice may be maintain'd among 'em and the love of Virtue inspir'd into 'em which is an Employ too great for any but Soveraign Princes to perform 'T is certain the Holy See has chosen the King of Spain to be entrusted with the Government of the Indies which may be prov'd by two considerable Circumstances The first of which is the Clause added in the Commission We rely upon your Fidelity Prudence and Justice which is inserted in the Bull of Grant and Commission of the Indies to the most serene Kings of Spain wherein the Pope says in express Terms Knowing you to be Kings truly Catholic as we have been assur'd by many experiences and that your Piety is every where regarded throughout the Christian World we doubt not but you will use all the care and diligence you can for the Exaltation and Increase of the Catholic Faith as you have spar'd no charge or pains to rescue the Kingdom of Grenada from the hands of Sarazens and Infidels which has so much conduc'd to the Glory of the name of God The second Circumstance is that when any express Order is added in the Commission the first Clause of it is express'd in these Words We exhort you by your Holy Baptism which obliges you to submit to our Apostolic Orders and we conjure you by the Bowels of Compassion in Jesus Christ that you would generously undertake this Expedition to engage the People of the New World to embrace the Christian Religion nor let any Hardships or Perils discourage you but put your trust in God who will make your Work succeed to his Glory The other Clause contains a kind of Command and is thus express'd We command you in virtue of the holy Obedience you owe us and we doubt not but you will undertake this Affair with a great deal of zeal and fervor and send into the Islands and Continent Men fearing God able experienc'd and capable of instructing the Inhabitants of the New World in the Catholic Faith and of inspiring 'em with the love of Virtue These Circumstances make it sufficiently appear that the Pope gave the charge of causing the Indians to be instructed to the Kings of Spain in consideration of the signal Services render'd the Church by that Crown nay that he has oblig'd them to undertake this good work by his express Command to apply themselves to it in virtue of the holy Obedience they owe him Pursuant to this these Princes solemnly engag'd themselves to second the Pope's designs with all their Power Their Promise was turn'd into a Covenant and became a formal Obligation on 'em and consequently 't is the indispensible Duty of the Kings of Spain to be the Ministers of the Holy See in carrying the Word of God into the Indies and contributing all their Power to continue the work of converting the Indians Their care should be extended to their temporal as well as spiritual Concerns and they ought to neglect nothing that may be necessary for their preservation or conversion Nor is it lawful for these Princes to abdicate this Authority and divest themselves of this Jurisdiction Let your Majesty therefore please to consider seriously how strict and indispensible this Obligation is be pleas'd to remember that in the year 1499 when Christopher Columbus the first Discoverer and Admiral of the West-Indies had permitted each Spaniard that accompanied him to take one Indians in recompence of the great Services done the Crown of Spain in that Voyage when those Indians arriv'd in Spain your Majesty so much resented it that 't was not easy to appease your Anger on that occasion Your Majesty ask'd if the Admiral had power to destroy your Subjects and commanded the Spaniards to send back to the Indies all the Indians they had brought from thence on pain of Death Accordingly they return'd in the year 1500 when Francis Bobadilla went to take the Government of the New World The second reason that proves your Majesty under an obligation to incorporate the Indies into the Inheritance of your Crown and not to suffer the Spaniards in the least to usurp any thing in quality of Lords and Masters is that otherwise 't is impossible the People should ever be brought to espouse Christianity To comprehend the force of this Reason it must be remember'd that the Design of your Majesty's Title to possess these newly-discover'd Nations is no other than the publication of the Gospel to spread the knowledg of Jesus Christ among 'em and consequently your Majesty is oblig'd to remove all Impediments that oppose this end by establishing good Laws and Orders and using all other just ways and means to render this design prosperous The End is always the great Spring that should give motion and direction to our Actions and 't is this we ought to have principally in view that we may the better foresee what Obstructions are likely to lie in our way and take the most sutable measures to attain the end propos'd Now 't is certain that the Power usurp'd by the Spaniards over the Indians is one of the greatest hindrances to the preaching of the Gospel among 'em for their Conversion All the World knows their excessive Avarice makes 'em unwilling to suffer the Missionary Monks to preach the Gospel to the Indians whom those Tyrants look upon as their Vassals because the publication of the Gospel they say occasions a considerable damage to 'em two ways First because these Monks make the Indians lose too much time in hearing their Instructions these People say they are naturally lazy and negligent so that when they are diverted from their Work 't is hard to bring 'em to it again It has often happen'd when the Monks had got the Indians together in their Church to instruct 'em the Spaniards have come upon 'em and taken away a hundred or two by force beating 'em cruelly to the scandal of the rest in spite of what the poor Monks could say or do And such Violences can't but extremely impede the Salvation of the Indians Another Disadvantage the Spaniards pretend to receive from the Conversion of the Indians is that when they are once instructed in the Maxims of Christianity they grow proud and untractable and not so capable to serve 'em and is not this an open Confession that their private Interest is dearer to 'em than the Salvation of these Peoples Souls The frame of their mind is an habitual mortal Sin against Charity the Order of which they pervert not only in not promoting their Salvation themselves which they ought every day to do being oblig'd in Conscience either to instruct 'em or procure others to do so but also