of people both in New Spain and Peru was fo much reduced, that in a few years the accounts of their ancient population appeared almost incredible. b)

Not the refult of any fyftem of policy;

Such are the most confiderable events and causes, which, by their combined operation, contributed to depopulate America. Without

attending to thefe, many authors, astonished at the fuddennefs of the defolation, have afcribed this unexampled event to a fyftem of policy no lefs profound than atrocious. The Spaniards, as they pretend, confcious of their own inability to occupy the vast regions which they had discovered, and foreseeing the impoffibility of maintaining their authority over a people infinitely fuperior to themselves in number, in order to preferve America, refolved to exterminate the inhabitants, and by converting a great part of the country into a defert, endeavoured to fecure their own dominion over it. c) But nations feldom extend their views to objects fo remote, or lay their plans fo deep; and, for the honour of humanity, we may obferve, that no nation ever deliberately formed fuch an execrable scheme. The Spanifh monarchs, far from acting upon any fuch fyftem of deftruction, were

b) Torquem. 615. 643, 643. See NOTE XL.

c) See NOTE XLI.

uniformly folicitous for the prefervation of their new fubjects. With Ifabella, zeal for propagating the chriftian faith, together with the defire of communicating the knowledge of truth, and the confolations of religion to people deftitute of fpiritual light, were more than oftenfible motives for encouraging Columbus to attempt his difcoveries. Upon his fuccefs, fhe endeavoured to fulfil her pious purpose, and manifefted the most tender concern to fecure not only religious inftruction, but mild treatment, to that inoffenfive race of men fubjected to her crown. d) Her fucceffors adopted the fame ideas; and, on many occafions, which I have men. tioned, their authority was interpofed in the moft vigorous exertions, to protect the people of America from the oppreffion of their Spanish fubjects. Their regulations for this purpose were numerous, and often repeated. They were framed with wifdom, and dictated by humanity. After their poffeffions in the New World became fo extenfive, as might have excited fome apprehenfions of difficulty in retaining their dominion over them, the fpirit of their regulations was as mild as when their fettlements were confined to the islands alone. Their folicitude to protect the Indians feems rather to have augmented as their acquifitions increafed; and from ardour to accomplish this, they

d) See NOTE XLII,

enacted, and endeavoured to enforce the execution of laws, which excited a formidable rebellion in one of their colonies, and fpread alarm and difaffection through all the reft. But the avarice of individuals was too violent to be controuled by the authority of laws. Rapacious and daring adventurers, far removed from the feat of government, little accuftomed to the reftraints of military difeipline while in fervice, and ftill lefs difpofed to respect the feeble jurifdiction of civil power in an infant colony, despised or eluded every regulation that fet bounds to their exactions and tyranny. The parent ftate, with perfevering attention, iffued edicts to prevent the oppreffion of the Indians; the colonifts, regardlefs of thefe, or trufting to their distance for impunity, continued to confider, and treat them as flaves. The governors themselves, and other officers employed in the colonies, feveral of whom were as indigent and rapacious as the adventurers over whom they prefided, were too apt to adopt their contemptuous ideas of the conquered people; and inftead of checking, encouraged or connived at their exceffes. The defolation of the New World fhould not then be charged on the court of Spain, or be confidered as the effect of any fyftem of policy adopted there. It ought to be imputed wholly to the conquerors and first planters of America, who, by meafures no lefs

inconfiderate than unjuft, counteracted the edicts of their fovereign, and have brought difgrace upon their country,

nor the effect of religion.

With ftill greater injuftice, have many authors represented the intolerating spirit of the Roman Catholick religion, as the caufe of exterminating the Americans, and have accufed the Spanish ecclefiafticks of animating their countrymen to the flaughter of that innocent people, as idolators and enemies of God. But the first miffionaries who visited America, though weak and illiterate, were pious men. They early espoused the defence of the natives, and vindicated their character from the afperfions of their conquerors, who, defcribing them as incapable of being formed to the offices of civil life, or of comprehending the doctrines of religion, contended, that they were a fubordinate race of men, on whom the hand of nature had fet the mark of fervitude. From the accounts which I have given of the humane and perfevering zeal of the Spanish miffionaries, in protecting the helpless flock committed to their charge, they appear in a light which reflects luftre upon their function. They were minifters of peace, who endeavoured to wreft the rod from the hands of oppreffors. To their powerful interpofition, the Americans were indebted for every regulation tending to mitigate the rigour of

their fate. The clergy in the Spanish fettlements, regular as well as fecular, are ftill confidered by the Indians as their natural guardians, to whom they have recourfe under the hardships and exactions to which they are often expofed. e)

The number of the Indians ftill remaining.

But, notwithstanding the rapid depopulation of America, a very confiderable number of the native race ftill remains both in Mexico and Peru, especially in those parts which were not expofed to the firft fury of the Spanish arms, or defolated by the firft efforts of their induftry, ftill more ruinous. In Guatimala, Chiapa, Nicaragua, and the other delightful provinces of the Mexican empire, which stretch along the fouth-fea, the race of Indians is ftill numerous, Their fettlements in fome places are fo populous, as to merit the name of cities. f) In the three audiences into which New Spain is divided, there are at least two millions of Indians; a pitiful remnant, indeed, of its ancient population, but fuch as ftill forms a body of people fuperior in number to that of all the other inhabitants of this vaft country. g) In Peru feveral districts, particularly in the kingdom of Quito, are occupied almost entirely by Indians.

e) See NOTE XLMI f) See NOTE XLIV. g) See NOTE XLV.