HISTORY OF VERMONT. 247 



4 



he pleased with the persecution, crueUy, and 

 destruction of men. Their system of war par- 

 took of the same spirit of mildness, and wisdom. 

 Tliey fought not to exterminate, but to con- 

 quer : they conquered not to enslave, but tp 

 improve, to civilize, and refine. No cruel tor- 

 ture awaited the captive. No barbarous marks 

 of degradation, disgrace, triumph, or slaverj-', 

 were reserved for the prisoners. They were 

 taught the same system of government and re- 

 ligion, as the rest of the people : they were ad- 

 mitted to the same privileges ; and treated with 

 the same lenity and mildness. Of all the tri- 

 umphs of the Inca, the noblest and the greatest, 

 was to diffuse the manifold blessings of peace 

 and happiness, to the people whom they had 

 subdued,. 



Such was the genius, the spirit, and the ef- 

 fect, of the system of monarchy that was estab- 

 lished in Peru. We need not hesitate to pro- 

 nounce it superior to any, that was then to be 

 found upon the face of the earth. The genius 

 and the spirit of it, were above all others, mild 

 and gentle : the object and the aim of it, were 

 in face, the improvement and the happiness of 

 the people. And if any government ever pro- 

 duced this effect, that government was the 

 monarchy of Peru : Not the attainment of the 

 most polished nations of Asia, and Europe, of 

 their arts, science, and improvement ; but of 

 the gi-eater wisdom and simplicity of the In- 

 dians, and Incas of America. 



We have here a phenomenon, new, and al- 

 most incredible in the political world. Abso^ 

 lute, unlimited, ^d hej'editary monarchy, whick. 



