PRELIMINARY ESSAY. 



51 



language, there is little social affinity between her 

 population and the Spanish American nations of the 

 continent. In contemplating the present social con- 

 dition of Cuba, we should not forget the origin and 

 causes of the principles and laws upon which it is 

 based. 



The early settlers of Cuba and of South America 

 were fearless adventurers seeking for gold. The 

 native races of the Antilles soon melted away under 

 the hardships imposed upon them by their new task- 

 masters, and these, cavaliers and hardy men-at-arms, 

 were unfitted to till the soil, or pursue the peaceful 

 avocations so necessary to the welfare of every com- 

 munity. The disappearance of the indigenous races 

 gave rise to a great social necessity in the new set- 

 tlements. " Send us at once," say the Spanish 

 officers in Cuba, in 1534, to the emperor, " send us 

 at once the seven thousand negroes, that they may 

 become inured to labor, before the Indians cease to 

 exist ; otherwise the inhabitants cannot sustain them- 

 selves, nor the government detain any one here, for 

 with the new tidings from Peru, all desire to leave." 



This social necessity gave birth to negro slavery 

 in America; but the new institution made little pro- 

 gress until the humanitarian arguments, which we 

 find again brought forward now for its destruction, 

 were brought to its aid. Las Casas, bishop of 



