History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 2/4Prescott, William Hickling
History
History of the Conquest of Mexico; vol. 2/4
Prescott, William Hickling
Cortés, Hernán, 1485-1547; Mexico -- History -- Conquest, 1519-1540
In the end Las Casas prevailed. He was furnished with the men and
means for establishing his colony, and in 1520 embarked for
America. But the result was a lamentable failure. The country
assigned to him lay in the neighborhood of a Spanish settlement,
which had already committed some acts of violence on the natives.
To quell the latter, now thrown into commotion, an armed force was
sent by the young “Admiral” from Hispaniola. The very people, among
whom Las Casas was to appear as the messenger of peace, were thus
involved in deadly strife with his countrymen. The enemy had been
before him in his own harvest. While waiting for the close of these
turbulent scenes, the laborers, whom he had taken out with him,
dispersed, in despair of effecting their object. And after an
attempt to pursue, with his faithful Dominican brethren, the work
of colonization further, other untoward circumstances compelled
them to abandon the project altogether. Its unfortunate author,
overwhelmed with chagrin, took refuge in the Dominican monastery in
the island of Hispaniola. The failure of the enterprise should, no
doubt, be partly ascribed to circumstances beyond the control of
its projector. Yet it is impossible not to recognize in the whole
scheme, and in the conduct of it, the hand of one much more
familiar with books than men, who, in the seclusion of the
cloister, had meditated and matured his benevolent plans, without
fully estimating the obstacles that lay in their way, and who
counted too confidently on meeting the same generous enthusiasm in
others which glowed in his own bosom.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account