Page:History of the Reign of Ferdinand and Isabella the Catholic Vol. II.djvu/523

497 SPANISH COLONIAL POLICY. 49$^ Isabella, however, was destined to have her be- chapter nevolent designs, in regard to the natives, defeated '- — by her own subjects. The popular doctrine of the defeated. absolute rights of the Christian over the heathen seemed to warrant the exaction of labor from these unhappy beings to any degree, which avarice on the one hand could demand, or human endurance con- cede on the other. The device of the repartimien- tos systematized and completed the whole scheme of oppression. The queen, it is true, abolished them under Ovando's administration, and declared the Indians " as free as her own subjects."*'' But his representation, that the Indians, when no longer compelled to work, withdrew from all intercourse with the Christians, thus annihilating at once all hopes of their conversion, subsequently induced her to consent, that they should be required to labor moderately and for a reasonable compensation.^® This was construed with their usual latitude by the Spaniards. They soon revived the old system some little known, may be found i' Herrera, Indias Occidentales, in the fifth chapter of Bancroft's lib. 4, cap. II. " History of the United States " ; 18 Dec. 20th, 1503.— Ibid. lib. 5, a work in which the author has cap. 11. — Seethe instructions to shown singular address in creating Ovando in Navarrete, (Coleccionde a unity of interest out of a subject Viages, torn, ii., Doc. Dipl., no. which, in its early stages, would 153.) " Pay them regular wages," seem to want every other unity. It says the ordinance, " for their la- is the deficiency of this, probably, bor," " como personas libres como which has pre vented Mr. Grahame's lo son, y no como siorvos." Las valuable History from attaining the Casas, who analyzes these instruc- popularity, to which its solid mer- tions, which Llorente, by the by, its justly entitle it. Should the re- has misdated, exposes the atrocious maining volumes of Mr. Bancroft's manner in which they were violat- work be conducted with the same ed, in every particular, by Ovando spirit, scholarship, and impartiality and his successors. CEuvres, ed. as the volume before us, it can- de Llorente, torn. i. p. 309. et seq. not fail to take a permanent rank in American literature. VOL. II. 63