B. XIV. in the annals of mankind. The Indians had first Ch. 7. to be removed by every kind of cruelty and mis The repentance of Las Casas. government from the face of their native country, and the Africans had to endure bloody wars in their own country* before a sufficient number of them could be captured to meet the increasing demand for negro slaves. Each ducat spent upon these palaces was, at a moderate computation, freighted with ten human lives. His The apologists for Las Casas, who have sought to contend that he was in no wise concerned in the introduction of this traffic, have made a statement which that noble personage would have repudiated in the most unqualified manner. conduct on this subject has been discussed at the proper place, and ample excuse has been shown for it. But he himself has repeated the expressions of his regret and repentance. "Of this advice," he says (speaking of the introduction of negroes), "which the Clerigo gave, he very soon afterwards found himself repentant, judging himself to have erred through inadvertence. For, after that he saw and had ascertained, as will appear, that the capture of negroes is as unjust as that of Indians, he perceived that the remedy which he had advised-for negroes to be brought hither, in order that Indians might be set free,—was not *"Ytem, como los mismos véen que con tanta ansia los buscan y quieren, unos á otros se hacen injustas guerras, y por otras vias ilícitas se hurtan y venden á los Portugueses. Por manera que nosotros somos causa de todos los pecados que los unos y los otros cometen, sin los nuestros que en comprallos cometemos.' -LAS CASAS, Hist. de las Indias, MS., lib. 3, cap. 128. Depopulation of the West Indies. 217 Ch. 7. a discreet remedy, although he supposed at the B. XIV. time that the negroes were justly made captives. He has not, however, felt certain that his ignorance in this matter and his good intentions would excuse him before the Divine judgment."* The foregoing account of the depopulation of the West India Islands, and of the corresponding introduction of negro slavery there, will show that the main question of encomiendas was settled, as far as regards the regions first discovered by Columbus. On resuming the subject, therefore, we need not keep in mind the islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Porto Rico, or Jamaica, nor, probably, the Pearl Coast, where, though there might be Indians to hunt after as slaves, there were none to be found in the state of good order and government which was requisite for the establishment of any such system as that of encomiendas. The extensive governments of Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru, henceforward become the main field for the legislation of the mother country. el truxesen negros para que se "Deste aviso que dió Clérigo, no poco despues se halló á repiso juzgándose culpado por inadvertente. Porque como despues vido y averiguó segun parecerá ser tan injusto el captiverio de los negros como el de los Yndios, no fué discreto remedio el que aconsejó, que se CHAPTER VIII. B. XIV. The BishopPresident acts in concert with Cortes. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF THE BISHOP-PRESI- IN BRATED LAW OF SUCCESSION PASSED IN 1536. 'N Mexico we left the new Auditors, busy in providing a remedy for the abuses caused and fostered by the mal-administration of the first Audiencia. The Bishop-President (Don Sebastian Ramirez de Fuenleal) had arrived in 1531; and his vigour, intelligence, and knowledge of colonial affairs were rapidly brought to bear upon the difficulties that existed in Mexico. Far from looking upon Cortes as an enemy, the wise Bishop acted entirely in concert with the Captain-General. It was Don Sebastian's practice to take counsel with many persons, as to what ought to be done, but with the Marquis alone, or, at least, with very few persons, as to the mode of executing what had been resolved upon.* * "Procedia en todo, con pa- | buena intencion, y vida exemplar, recer, y acuerdo de el Marqués siempre es gran parte, para rede el Valle, con quien se tenia ducir los Abusos á Policia; y era gran conformidad, porque un costumbre de este prudentísimo Ministro, y Consejero de Letras, Presidente, comunicar con mu The Bishop-President's Administration. 219 Ch. 8. Bishop's tration. 1531 to 1534. There was a certain breadth about the Bishop's B. XIV. administration which is clearly indicative of a wise governor. No single subject of government occupied his attention to the exclusion of others. He founded churches; he divided Mexico into The parishes; he established a college, and was the first adminis man to propose that a learned education should be given to the Indians. His efforts in this matter were successful; and it is curious that one of the best chroniclers of the Bishop's proceedings was instructed in the Mexican language by a most accomplished Indian, who had been educated He founds at this college, and was Governor of Mexico (which seems to mean, of the Indians of Mexico, for they had a separate jurisdiction) for forty years.* a college. tifies and To beautify and improve the city was also He beauan object with the Bishop-President. He caused improves stone bridges to be built, and provided a better Mexico. supply of water for the town than it had had before. He also caused a small lake to be dried up chos, lo que se debia de hacer; | lulco, donde escrivo esto, y donde IO. * "Fué el primero que introduxo que se mostrase Gramática Latina, á algunos Indios, en esta Nueva-España, para ver sus Ingenios. Para este fin se fundó el Colegio de Santa Cruz, en esta parte de Santiago Tlate huvo muchos Colegiales (como B. XIV. in that part of the city called Tenuchitlan, and erected a market-place on the site. Ch. 8. The Bishop gave much attention to agriculture. He took care that the fruits of the mother country should be planted in all parts of New Spain. He introduced the cultivation of hemp and flax. He founded the town of Los Angeles, Encourages in order that it might be the centre of a corngrowing country, and at Tlascala he introduced the rearing and manufacture of cochineal. agriculture. Indians: ing a book His conduct towards the Indians was uniKind to the formly kind and considerate. He abolished the establish practice of making slaves. He established a of tributes. book of tributes, in which were set down the dues which the Indians in encomienda had to pay to their Encomenderos; and he gave especial care to the religious education of the Indians. Suppresses His labours were not always peaceful. There a rebellion. Was a rebellion in one of the provinces in his time, but it was rapidly and dexterously appeased. Does not abolish The foregoing measures were very prudent, and the labours of the Bishop and his colleagues were constant and well directed. But, remembering the extraordinary powers with which this second Audiencia was endowed in reference to the matter of encomiendas, we naturally look for a conclusion to this mode of enmiendas. forced service as the principal object which they would have in view. We look in vain. It is true that the Auditors themselves neither took possession of Indians, nor allotted them to their friends and relations. It is certain, also, that enco |