318 



APPENDIX. 



the king, in which he was supposed to be always present. The 

 rojal rescripts, the recopilationes of the Indies, and the partidas 

 furnished the general rules of decision; and when these were silent 

 or doubtful, recourse was had to the opinions of professional men. 



This system was generally executed by the viceroys, captains- 

 general, and by the tribunals of justice, with a spirit, correspon- 

 ding with the rigorous policy that produced it. To this form of go- 

 vernment, the country had for centuries submitted with implicit 

 obedience; and probably would have continued to submit much 

 longer, but for events in this country and the changes in Europe* 



The sagacious minds of many able writers, penetrating into the 

 future, had predicted, at some distant date, a revolution in South 

 America, before that in North America had commenced. From 

 the period of the successful termination of our own struggle for in- 

 dependence, that of the inhabitants of the south, has been with 

 more confidence foretold; and there is reason to believe it has been 

 hastened by this fortunate event. The conduct of Spain, during 

 the war of our revolution, was calculated to make a lasting im- 

 pression on her colonies. This result was then foreseen by intel- 

 ligent politicians; many were surprised that she could be so blind 

 to her own interests, after she had on one occasion, manifested the 

 strongest suspicion of Paraguay; for to her scrupulous jealousy of 

 this power, the expulsion of the Jesuits from that country in 1750, 

 is to be attributed. 



The wars that arose from the French revolution, have produc- 

 ed in Europe, changes of the greatest magnitude, which have had 

 an immense influence on the affairs of South America. When 

 Spain joined France against the combined princes, she-^^posed 

 her distant possessions to British hostilities. The great naval 

 power of England, gave her ready access to the American colo- 

 nies. Engaged in an arduous contest, she was prompted by her 

 feelings and interests, to retaliate on Spain, the conduct she expe- 

 rienced from her during the war of our independence. Encour- 

 aged, perhaps, by the councils of her enemies, the first symptoms 

 of insurrection, in the continental possessions of Spain, were ex- 

 hibited in the year 1797, in Venezuela. These were succeeded 

 by the attempts of Miranda in the same quarter, which were ac- 

 companied, or were followed, since the vacillating state of the 

 Spanish monarchy, by revolutionary movements in Mexico, Grena- 

 da, Peru, Chili, and Buenos Avres: and from which,^scarcely any 



