HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



291 



declare to M. de Paw, and to all Europe, that the men- 

 tal qualities of the Americans are not the lead inferior 

 to thofe of the Europeans, that they are capable of all, 

 even the moil abftracT:, fciences, and that if equal care 

 was taken of their education, if they were brought up 

 from childhood in feminaries under good matters, were 

 protected and ftimulated by rewards, we mould fee rife 

 among the Americans, philofophers, mathematicians, and 

 divines who would rival the flrfl: in Europe. But it is a 

 little difficult, not to fay impoffible, to make great pro- 

 grefs in the fciences, in the midfl: of a life of mifery, fer- 

 vitude, and oppreflion. Whoever contemplates the pre- 

 fent ftate of Greece will not be apt to believe that thofe 

 great men flouriftied there whom hiftory records, were 

 we not convinced of it by their immortal works, and the 

 voice of all ages. But the obftacles which the people 

 of Greece have to furmount before they can become 

 learned are not comparable to thofe which the Americans 

 always had, and ftill have to overcome. Neverthelefs, 

 we wifli M. de Paw, and fome other perfons who think 

 as he does, could be prefent without being obferved in 

 thofe affemblies or councils which are held by the Ame- 

 ricans on certain days to deliberate on public affairs, that 

 they might hear how thofe fatyrs of the new world dif- 

 courfe and harangue. 



Laftly, The whole ancient hiflory of the Mexicans 

 and Peruvians evinces to us, that they knew how to 

 think and order their ideas, that they are fufceptible of 

 all the paffions and impreffions of humanity, and that the 

 Europeans have had no other advantage over them than 

 that of having been better inftru&ed. The civil govern- 

 ment of the ancient Americans, their laws, and their arts 

 evidently demonstrate they fuffered no want of genius. 



Their 



