MANUMISSION OF SLAVES. 41 



The first general congress, which was 

 thoroughly informed of the condition in 

 which the natives of the republic stood, and 

 which wished to lay the foundations of the 

 political and civil liberties of the citizens, 

 sanctioned the law which placed the Indians 

 on an equality with the other inhabitants of 

 Colombia ; which suppressed the then tri- 

 butes and the personal labours which had 

 been wrongfully introduced ; — the law which 

 provided, in fine, that the resguardos, or com- 

 mon lands, should be divided into fee-simple 

 estates within the term of five years. Al- 

 though this law cannot exalt the present 

 generation of natives from the state of abase- 

 ment in which they are, by reason of the im- 

 possibility of changing a character already 

 decided, there is great reason to hope that 

 they may hereafter improve. The example 

 of the other classes of the state; the mixture 

 which will take place amongst them by means 

 of intermarriages ; the instruction which will 



