and the dissemination of knowledge, under the most specious pretexts, were prohibited; as well as the study of the laws, and rights of nations, which latter, were supposed to form no part of the claims of the Americans. The Indian college of Tlalclolco was abolished, because the natives of colour, therein acquired information. Cacique Cirilo de Castilla, spent thirty years of his life, in endeavouring to found an Indian college, in La Puebla, but died in Madrid, without succeeding. Dn. Juan Francisco, an Opata chief, travelled to Mexico on foot, a distance of five hundred leagues, and then crossed the ocean to Madrid, solely to solicit a grant to found a school in his own interior province, for the only purpose of teaching his fellow. Indians, the first rudiments; and he was refused by the council of the Indies, in 1798. A patriotic society, established by the benevolent Villaurrutia, in Guatemala, for the object of encouraging the arts and sciences, was, also, interdicted, as offensive to the views of the court,

The numerous instances of a similar nature, could quote, would almost exceed credibility; and any other than the practical observer, would be induced to doubt their existence. In a country, like England, where the king, and also the dignitaries of the crown, are the active, as well as the professed patrons of benevolent establishments and institutions, for the care and instruction of the lower orders, it will scarcely be believed, that when Charles IV. was solicited to found an university in the city of Merida, in the captain-generalship of Caracas, his Majesty, in his royal cedula, or decree, after consulting the council of the Indies, and the fiscal, refused permission, alledging, that he did not conceive it proper, for learning to become general in America.

Thus, whilst the other nations of Europe, devoted! their best exertions, to spread useful knowledge among all orders of society; whilst, even those which had colonies, hastened to make them share in every thing liberal and enlightened, they themselves attained, Spain alone, was prohibiting the extension of useful knowledge in her transmarine provinces, and debarring them from the progressive advances of the latter centuries; on a system, and in conformity to principles, which can scarcely be supposed to exist, even in the most uncivilized and barbarous nations. This strange obliquity of intellect, can be explained in no other way, than by adverting to the narrow-minded and bigotted manner, in which all her governmental transactions have been conducted; nor could such instances of antisocial principles be credited, were they not derived from the best authorities, and proved by the testimony of all those, who have been observant in Spanish America. The Inquisition, with all its horrors, and exclusively composed of European judges, like the police of Napoleon, was charged to watch over every one who murmured against government, whose instrument it had become, rather than that of religion. In short, the despotism of Asia, or Turkey, scarcely presents a picture more horrid and debased, than the policy acted upon by the European Spaniards in their American provinces ; one, that, in defiance of every just principle, and in direct opposition to the law, not only existed, but had gradually grown into a most undeviating regularity of actual system.

Hitherto, therefore, it would appear, that the inhabitants of Spanish America, have been treated, rather as the meek and servile servants of their European masters, than

as men, endowed with the same understanding, equal to them in rights, and, by the laws of justice and of nature, entitled to the same privileges and social footing. In most countries, where civilization has superseded the råvages of conquest, the individual has some degree of personal protection against injustice, by the impartiality and soundness of the laws, by these being fixed and unchangeable, or by the correct manner in which they are administered; for it is a folly to suppose, that a society could - ever long, and properly subsist, that is not protected by adequate codes. Few, indeed, are the established societies, so wretched, and so destitute, as not to have some check or other on the powerful, and some provision made against arbitrary power, and the despotism of their rulers; but, in this number, Spanish America might be counted; for experience has proved, that an appeal, at the distance of two thousand leagues, before a corrupt court, had no other effect, than to aggravate the case. How many unfortunate claimants, unjustly deprived of their property, have collected the last remnant of their fortunes, and have crossed the ocean to seek redress at the foot of the throne; but if Americans, they have had to expend the whole, and, perhaps, the remainder of their lives, in seeking, what from principle and corruption, was denied them, but what, in justice, could not be withheld. How many such instances, are there, not on record; how many, up to the present day, yet occur; nay, how many victims of vengeance and injustice, could not the prisons of Cadiz, at the present moment, disclose? How many, in the dungeons of both hemispheres, are now dragging a wretched existence, or perishing in hopeless captivity; withouttrial, or without having, even, been notified of the

cause of their sufferings? The records of the colonial policy, and of the judicial proceedings of Spain, applied to her ultramarine settlements, have been filled with the greatest horrors; nor is there a pretext of any nature, that will amount to a justification of a continuance of such outrages. Yet, are we astonished, that the settlements have sought redress; nay, we, ourselves, have been deaf when they appealed to us as a nation, and sought our interference, as a shield against the horrors by which they were surrounded; and this under such grievances, as those already sketched, and after the most friendly assurances on our part. When they called on the universal sympathies of mankind at large, and strong in so sacred and just a cause, addressed themselves to us, we were the only nation that acted with indifference, and that negatively told them, their object was unjust, and that the Spaniards were acting right, in punishing them as wanton insurgents, and in filling their country, with hor ror and devastation.

Unjust and improvident as was this colonial system I have just sketched, it was nevertheless exercised over one of the richest and most interesting portions of the globe, and inhabited by seventeen millions of people, more enlightened than their European brethren, more liberal, and possessed of a character and disposition, filled up with many interesting traits. There is in the Creole, a degree of sensibility, which, whilst the partial European has often construed into effeminacy, partakes more of the finer feelings; and though, at first sight, it may have the appearance of languor, and a want of ener gy, facts, have, nevertheless, proved, that the native of Spanish America, is not divested of courage, but, that he

seldom descends to cruelty. Gifted with a warm and brilliant imagination, his mind is adapted to every science that is not peculiarly dry and abstruse; and amongst the literary characters the settlements have produced within few years, almost all have been Creoles; indeed, in the very Cortes, the most eloquent and liberal, are of that class. I make these few incidental remarks, because, the natives of the country to which I allude, amongst us, are partially known, and not justly appreciated. Fortunately, also, the upper classes, as previously stated, have, by dint of perseverance, overcome most of the obstacles opposed to mental improvement; in such manner, that the European traveller is now astonished at the various acquirements, which, in general, they have attained, and which he would have thought impossible, under the political despotism, in which they have been so long held.

However, snch as I have just pencilled; has been the degraded aspect of the transmarine government, and such the melancholy picture, the Spanish Americans have presented, for 300 years; and scarcely is there a country where the smallest spark of rational freedom, and of civil liberty has existed, that has not lamented the fate of that injured people, and condoled with their abject state. Since the time of Raynal, scarcely has there been a pen employed in describing those varied and extensive regions, that, after enumerating their neglected resources, has not deplored the unnatural subjection in which they were kept, and the privations to which they were reduced. All governments, with regard to the citizen, ought to have a just and moral power; but, very much the reverse, was that by which the Spanish settlements were ruled; ingratitude was the basis of the colonial policy of Spain, and