The South American Republics, Part 2 of 2 — John Shaqi
The South American Republics, Part 2 of 2Dawson, Thomas Cleland
History
The South American Republics, Part 2 of 2
Dawson, Thomas Cleland
South America -- History
The enlightened advisers of Charles V. came to the conclusion that Peru
could never become a loyal and profitable appanage of the Crown until
freedom of action was granted to its government. Don Andres Hurtado de
Mendoza, Marquis of Canete, accepted the difficult post of viceroy. He
was a scion of the noblest House of Spain, distinguished alike in arms
and letters, capable and resolute, of mature years and wide experience.
His salary was fixed at the then fabulous sum of forty thousand ducats
in order to enable him to maintain regal state, and, accompanied by his
vice-queen and an imposing retinue, he assumed power with ceremonial
splendour. He prohibited further immigration from Spain and ordered that
no Spaniard in Peru should leave his district without permission. Though
the encomienderos were left in possession of their estates, they were
made to understand that they must cease the more outrageous forms of
oppressing the natives. He sent for the most notorious disturbers, and
they came joyfully expecting to receive grants, but were summarily
disarmed and banished. He employed the more adventurous in expeditions
to the interior and in completing the conquest of Chile. All the
artillery in the country was gathered under his eye, and the corregidors
were required to dismiss most of their soldiery. Finally, the viceroy
continued Pizarro's policy of founding cities into which were gathered
the Spaniards who remained scattered over the country.
He did much to alleviate the lot of the natives, though he dared not
venture on giving them all the rights guaranteed by Spanish law. No
efforts were spared to Hispaniolise the Inca nobles, and native chiefs
who could prove their right by descent were formally allowed to exercise
jurisdiction as magistrates. Even the rightful emperor, Sayri Tupac, who
had maintained his independence in the wilds of Vilcabamba, was induced
to swear allegiance and accept a pension and estates in the valley of
Yucay. When the Inca had attested the documents by which he renounced
his sovereignty, he lifted up the gilded fringe of the table-cloth,
saying: "All this cloth and its fringe were mine, and now they give me a
thread of it for my sustenance and that of all my house." Retiring to
Yucay, he sank into a deep melancholy and died within two years.
In the meantime Charles V. had been succeeded by Philip II. The Marquis
of Canete's liberal and enlightened policy did not wring money from the
unhappy country fast enough to suit the greedy despot. He listened to
the slanders against the "good viceroy" brought home by disappointed
Spaniards, and Canete's reward for five years of brilliant service was a
recall. Only his death saved him from hearing with his own ears the
reproaches of his ungrateful sovereign.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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