A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies: Or, a faithful NARRATIVE OF THE Horrid and Unexampled Massacres, Butcheries, and all manner of Cruelties, that Hell and Malice could invent, committed by the Popish Spanish Party on the inhabitants of West-India, TOGETHER With the Devastations of several Kingdoms in America by Fire and Sword, for the space of Forty and Two Years, from the time of its first Discovery by them.Casas, Bartolomé de las
History
A Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies: Or, a faithful NARRATIVE OF THE Horrid and Unexampled Massacres, Butcheries, and all manner of Cruelties, that Hell and Malice could invent, committed by the Popish Spanish Party on the inhabitants of West-India, TOGETHER With the Devastations of several Kingdoms in America by Fire and Sword, for the space of Forty and Two Years, from the time of its first Discovery by them.
Casas, Bartolomé de las
Indians, Treatment of -- Latin America; Spain -- Colonies -- America
After I had published this Treatise, certain Laws and Constitutions,
enacted by his Majesty then at _Baraclona_ in the Month of _December,
An. Dom._ 1542, promulgated and published the Year ensuing in the City
of _Madera_, whereby it is provided, (as the present Necessities
requir'd) that a period be put to such great Enormities and Sins, as
were committed against God and our Neighbours, and tended to the utter
Ruine and Perdition of this New World. These Laws were published by
his Majesties Order, several Persons of highest Authority, Councellors,
Learned, and Conscientious Men, being assembled together for that
purpose, and many Debates made at _Valedolid_ about this weighty
Affair, at length by the unanimous Consent and Advice of all those who
had committed their Opinions to Writing, they were made publick who
traced more closely therein the Laws of Christ and Christianity, and
were judged Persons pure, free from and innocent of that stain and
blemish of depriving the _Indians_ of their Treasures by Theft and
Rapine, which Riches had contaminated and sullied the Hands, but much
more the Souls of those who were enslav'd by those heaps of Wealth and
Covetousness, now this obstinate and hot pursuit after Wealth was the
Original of all those Evils committed without the least Remorse or
Check of Conscience.
These Laws being thus promulgated, the _Courtiers_ who promoted these
Tyrants, took care that several Copies should be transcribed, (though
they were extremely afflicted to see, that there was no farther hopes
or means to promote the former Depredations and Extortions by the
Tyranny aforesaid) and sent them to several _Indian_ Provinces. They,
who took upon them the Trouble and Care of Extirpating, and Oppressing
by different ways of Cruelty, as they never observed any Method or
Order, but behav'd themselves most inordinately and irregularly, having
perused these Diplomata or Constitutions, before the new made Judges,
appointed to put them in Execution, could Arrive or be Landed, they by
the assistance of those (as 'tis credibly rumour'd, nor is it repugnant
to truth) who hitherto favour'd their Criminal and Violent Actions,
knowing well that these Laws and Proclamations must necessarily take
effect, began to grow mutinous, and rebel, and when the Judges were
Landed, who were to Execute these _Mandates_, laying aside all manner
of Love and Fear of God, were so audacious as to contemn and set at
nought all the Reverence and Obedience due to their King, and so became
Traytors, demeaning themselves like Blood-Thirsty Tyrants, destitute
and void of all Humanity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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