206 HISTORICAL SKETCH. 



Americans ; that is to say, the native Ameri- 

 cans lately under the dominion of Spain ; as 

 the word Spaniards must be considered to 

 mean natives of Spain, who had been sent 

 out to Spanish America : the terms Patriots 

 and Independents apply to all those who 

 resisted the Spanish authorities, or who sup- 

 ported the cause of independence ; in a si- 

 milar manner, the term Royalists includes 

 all those individuals whose object was to 

 maintain the authority of the mother-coun- 

 try, or to continue Spanish America in the 

 same colonial shackles by which it had 

 hitherto been fettered. 



It should not be forgotten, however, that 

 there was, and still is, a very considerable 

 portion of South America which was never 

 conquered, nor has it ever been settled ; and 

 which is now in the possession of the des- 

 cendants of those aboriginal natives, who. 



