38 INTRODUCTION. 



Britain had no auxiliary like this to support her, in 

 her conHici with the United States; on the contrary, 

 she found the same class of people her active foes. 

 It is his^hly probable, tlie struggle of the United States 

 would have orn a very different character, if Great 

 Britain had had forty or fifty thousand individuals, 

 devoted to her interests in the different parts of our 

 country, and holding all public employments as well 

 as possessing its active capital. 



To the circnmstariice of the existence of so many in- 

 dividuals of the description before mentioned, distri- 

 buted through the different cities of South America, 

 and especially in the vicinity of the mines, is to be as- 

 cribed much of the difficulties of the Spanish Ameri- 

 cans. To the same cause may be attributed the de- 

 pravity of morals, with which the Creoles have been 

 accused, but which I have no doubt has been much 

 exaggerated. 



With resj)ect to the state of learning and the general 

 diffusiou of information, considering how important 

 this is to countries contending for independence, and 

 how necessary in order to form a correct idea of their 

 present prospects and future hopes, it will be neces- 

 sary to l)e somewhat more minute. Literature and 

 the arts have been seldom known to flourish under 

 colonial governments, especially when far removed 

 from their metropolis. They are intimately connected 

 with national independence. In addition to this, there 

 existed in Spanish America, many circumstances pe- 

 culiarly unfavorable. There was little or no object 

 for any one to devote himself to letters, for they led 

 neither to distinction nor wealth. Besides, it was far 

 from the policy of Spain to encourage learning in her 



