264 SPANISH AMERICA. 



interests of the Spanish Americans, who, 

 considered as so many beasts of burden, 

 were held to be sufficiently remunerated, if 

 they had food enough to keep them alive and 

 to enable them to labour for their masters. 



In the progress of acting for a long pe- 

 riod upon this system, there were, of course, 

 exceptions, as there must be in every sys- 

 tem. The descendants of Spaniards, born 

 in South America, could not be treated 

 precisely in the same manner as the ab- 

 origines of the country ; more especially 

 those who had acquired great property and 

 influence : but still the system of the go- 

 vernment was closely adhered to, and only 

 relaxed where some considerations of pow- 

 erful weight rendered it unavoidable, or 

 through the operation of some of those se- 

 cret springs, which not unfrequently have 

 a considerable effect upon the movements 

 of a court. 



