TRAVELS IN THE CALIFORNIAS. 
283 
pacity to build a fire to warm his frame when beset with cold— 
to the Negro—the Hottentot—the Indian—the Asiatic and 
the European species, there is a gradual development of beauty 
and capacity of body and mind, which forces us to think that 
the same harmonious variety was introduced into the creation 
of the human family, which is so manifest in other orders of 
the animal world. Among celestial intelligences, too, there 
are greater and lesser stars of existence ; and the Great Ma¬ 
ker burns above them all. Such variety is a palpable fact on 
earth. The highest obedience ’ to God is the recognition of 
Him in His own character, and of creation as it fell from His 
hands ; and having done these things dutifully, to place our¬ 
selves in the ordained relation to the external world, to other 
men, to ourselves and to Him. One of the noblest acts in 
this line of obedience is to say to those who are for wise 
purposes made inferior to us, be free—be men. And if we 
had no other sources of information from which to learn the 
real nature and intent of the course of the Mexican Govern¬ 
ment towards these Mission Indians, we should place it among 
the noblest deeds of mem But unfortunately it deserves 
equal distinction of an opposite character. Let succeeding 
events be heard in evidence. 
These declarations of Echuandra and the banishment of 
their Prefecto, diminished the Padres’ hopes of perfecting 
what they had so gloriously begun—the rearing the Indian 
population by degrees to the labors, the thoughts, the religion 
and happiness of civilisation. They well understood what all 
men will eventually come to know, that an ignorant, stupid 
species of the human kind, never was and never can be free 
before their stupidity and ignorance are removed; that the 
introduction of-such people as civil agents among a body 
of citizens of the higher species, who sustain the re¬ 
sponsibilities of advanced society, is attended with no good 
to any party; but on the contrary, attaches to the acts and 
thoughts of the higher, advancing and thinking species, the 
antagonism of the unthinking, the indolent and degrading in- 
