ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



1039 



fiis own particular interest to attend 

 to any measure that might, if adopt- 

 cd, deprive him for a time of the 

 smallest advantage he derives from 

 the post conferred upon him, how- 

 ever such a step might tend to alle- 

 le viato the sufferings of a wretched 

 people, oppressed and injured be- 

 yond the power of resistance, or 

 even of complaint. 



" The only object here of those 

 in power is to make an immense and 

 rapid fortune; at whose expence, 

 and by what means, they care not* 

 Every ofl'cer that is sent from the 

 mother country hither finds an allot- 

 ted number of natives attached to 

 the situation provided for him : those 

 he has liberty to employ, how, 

 wJien, and where it best pleases 

 him, and as fast as they perish he 

 demands a new supply; of vvliom 

 there are yearly sent many thou- 

 sands from the inland presidencies to 

 the Spanish towns, there to be em- 

 ploj'ed in the mines, state buildings, 

 or the service of individuals, as go- 

 vernment thinks most titling. 



" Such a wanton impolitic sacrifice 

 oflives, joined to the drPadful rava- 

 ges made by that fatal disease the 

 small-pox, which is peculiarly de- 

 structive among the Indians, must 

 naturally tend to diminish their num- 

 bers, if not, at length, to their total 

 extermination. Symptoms of this 

 have been already felt, and schemes 

 arc daily projecting to ward oflf the 

 approaching eviJ. This is useless. 

 It is too late now to be prudent ; 

 and Spain at large must be content to 

 suffer for the turpitude of those in 

 whom the interests of this southern 

 world were vested. 



" Great numbers of negroes are 

 yearly imported for domestic servi- 

 tude, but notwithstanding this the 

 loss of the Indians begins to be sen- 



sibly felt ; and was it not for the 

 consciousness the court ofMadrid 

 cannot but feel of the state of imbe- 

 cility to which so many years of 

 luxurious indolence have reduced its 

 military power in this country, I 

 should entertain the most serious 

 ai)prehensions for thcliberty of those 

 tribes, who, in the interior of the 

 provinces, have yet preseaved their 

 independence uninjured, unsubdued. 

 Some of them, it is true, i)ay an an. 

 nual tribute to (he Spaniards for 

 liberty to trade to their settlements ; 

 but there are others still more re- 

 mote, who heroically persist in hold- 

 ing pot the smallest intercourse 

 whatever vith the invaders and en- 

 slavers o! their native land : .and 

 this implaciible hereditary hatred is 

 augmented rather than diminished 

 by tile aggravating rejjorts of thoso 

 Indians wJio, unable to bear the 

 severity with which they are treated, 

 contrive means of escape from their 

 servitude in (he Spanish towns ; and 

 lly for protection to their happier 

 brethren ; who, by a long and firm 

 resistance, have rendered themselves 

 extremely formidable to their Euro- 

 pean task. masters, whom tliey now 

 keep in a constant state of nlarm. 

 The arms which once awed them into 

 silence time has rendered too fami- 

 liar to be feared ; and the Spanish 

 rulers perceive too late the fatal 

 error of their predecessors, who 

 barbarously rent asunder the bonds 

 of faith and friendship with the na- 

 tives, trusting only to a despotic 

 tyranny, which in progress of time 

 must inevitably work its own de- 

 struction. Such ever be the effects 

 of unfeeling avarice and thirst of 

 power! Had the kings of Spain 

 when first this country became theirs 

 by right of conquest for by no other 

 can they claim it — duly appreciated 



tlie 



