BARTOLOME DE LAs Casas From In Defense of the Indians (ca. 1550) Hernando Cortés and subsequent conquistadores of the Americas acted on the belief that conquest ofthe New World’s native peoples as a means to increase Spanish ‘wealth and sovereignty was justified by the expansion of civilization and Christian ity, Some Catholic missionaries, however, protested against the plundering of Indian property the enslavenientof Indians, and other atrocities: Pope Paul II responded in 1537 by issuing @ papal bul calling forthe Indias toe treated humanely, Then Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Spat, called for an assembly in 1542 to determine what was going on in the New World and what should be done. Thase infuriated by the resulting proposed reforms recruited their own apologists, and fore most among such defenders as the theologidn and royal historian Ginés Sepiilveda One of Sepilveda’s ablest foes was the Dominican priest Bartolomé de Las Casas (1474-1566) Las Casas spent most of his ninety-two years in the New World intent on converting and defending the natives, According to Las Casas, Sepilveda pro claimed that because the Indians were barbaric, ignorant, incapable of higher learning or reasoning, and prove to vice and cruelty, there was just cause for their subordina tion and, should they resist that, subjugation by the forces of those wiser and more virtuous. After summarizing Sepilveda's position, Las Casas refuted it point by point as he argued against Sepiveda and other “Persecutors and Slanderérs of the Peoples ofthe New World Discovered Across the Seas. From Chapter 4 "Tides hf batbaviand Who have rule and state” In Defois ofthe Indians translated and edited by Stafford Poole, CM. (DeKalb, IL: Northern Illinois University Press, 1982) Used with permission of Northern Ilinois University Pres. + ame Now if they ae tobe subjugate by war because Whe fic that the Indidns are Birbtians it theyareignorantof plished erature, let Sepulveda Eaecessaily follow that they ate incapable heat Trogus Pompey iment and have to be ruled by others, reer glans f0 be ele by thes cal he Spann mito he yk of con. ib the holy sacraments They are not uted province ui Cer Auta fer he had Pee hy stcraments"hey are ot CCneneted the word ted his vitfious amit or bestia. Ratbes, long bef against them and organized that barbaric and wild evpleasa roving, nce head ied them by ato a tore ved way oie states, wisely ordered by excellent ony and custom. They cultivated friend- und together in common fellowship; Now see howrhe called the Spanish people barbaric lus cities in which they wisely and-wild. I would like to bear Sepilveda, in his Ae affairs of both peace and war cleverness, answer this question: Does he think Habystruly governed bylawsthat at that the war of the Romans against the Spanish was Tat ssurpassours and could have won justified in order to free them from barbarism? Hot OF the sages of Athens ‘And this question also: Did the Spanish wage an44 cuartan | THE COLLISION OF CULTURES unjust war when they vigorously defended them selves against them? ‘Newt T call the Spaniards who plunder that unhappy people torturers Do you think that the army once they had subjugated the wild and bar Tarte peoples of Spain, could with secure ight divide all otyou among themselves, handing ovet 50 28) head of both males and females a8 allotments 0 egiiduels? And do you then conclude that the iraipans could have stripped your rulers of thelt wethority and consigned all of you ater you had teen deprived of your liberty, to wretched labors: tepectally in searching forgot. and silver lodes and spaning and refining the metalst And ifthe Romar aniped that as isevident from Diodorus [ould sount jig) that you also have the right defend Your freedom, indeed. your very Tif, DY war? Zepilveda, would you have permitted Saint ante, eeyangelize your own people of Cordoba in tht. ‘Coy? For God's sake and man’s faith n him is his ‘he way to impose the yoke of Christ on Christian aa at Ie this the way to remove wild barbarism from ‘reminds of barbarians Isit not, rather, to act like thieves, cut-throats, and cruel plunderers and {9 vive the gentlest of people headlong into despair? ‘The Indian race is not that barbaric, nor are they Pr witted or stupid, but they are easy to teach and ery talented in learning ll he Liberal arts, and’ vy ready to accept, honor, and observe the Christa ‘Shilon and correct thelr sins (as experience has rane) once priests have introduced them to the cary mysteries and taught them the word of God “Toey have been endowed with excellent conduc ghd before the coming ofthe Spaniards, as we have as ahey bad political states that were wel founded ‘on beneficial laws. ‘Furthermore, they are so skilled in every sechanical art that with every sightthey should Be ire head ofall the nations ofthe known word on this seore, so very beautiful in their skill and art ity ave the things this people produces #0 the grace ofits architecture, ts painting, and 1 20°, aresfork. But Sepiiveda despises these mechanics) sie, as if these things do not relict inventiveness sngenulty, industry and rightreason. Fora mechan iret arti an operative habit of the intellect thet is usually defined as “the right way to make things Uiutttag the acts of the reason, through Whi cee ercan proceeds in. orderly fashion. easly: and sieceingly inthe very act of eason.” So these men sem stupid, Reverend Doctor. Their skilfully ‘rSproned works of superior refinement awaken the admiration of ll nations. di the liberal arts that they have been taught ‘up to now, such as grammar and logic the} Ae se vorkably adept. With every kind of music they “iuem the ears of their audience with wonderful srmtness, They write skillfully and quite elegantly sitpat mostofea we are atalossto know whether the characters are handwritten or printed, Now if Sepilveda had wanted, asaserious man shoula, to know the fall truth before e sat down sav write with his mind corrupted by the lies of tyrants, be should ave consulted the honest el thous win havelived rong those peoples or eny rand know theirendowments of characte 2 YFatetry, aswell asthe progress they have mae in ‘Bhigion and morality. Indeed, Rome is fat from Spun, ytin hat city the talent of these peop and Tre apctude and capacity for grasping the liberal ate have been recognized. Here is Paolo Gioviy Bishop of Nocera, in praise of those peoples whom you cal dul ited and stupid in his History of sees hehas left this testimony for later generation toread: Hernin Cortés, hurrying overland tothe kingioms Mexico after defeating the Indians, oceupied fh ptenechtian, oer be ad conquered in an ties, usng boats which he had built that cit 6 tent Iagoon--wonderful like the ety of Ven buildings and the sie of its population. [As you see, he decates that the Indian cy i thy of admiration because of ts building arelike those of Venice vas tp the terrible crime of Iumman sie! whlch you exaggerate, see what Giovie a5 fame place, “the rulers of the Mexicans tight o sacri living men to thet $0 F ‘Bey have been condemned fr a crime? Tree natural wits ofthat pools, Wha ing th rs ot aliogetbe cul |BARTOLOME DE LAS Casas: rom In Defense ofthe Indians (ca.1550) 5 co make things, through which sion, easily, and 1" Sothese men “Their skillfully rnement awaken tolead gifted and teachable people, once they had abandoned their superstitious idolatry, to the wor- ship of Christ, For they learn'our writing with please and with adntiration; naw that they have given up the hieroglyphiics by which they used to record theit annals, etishining for posterity in various symbols the memory ofthe kings” ‘This is what you, a man of such great scholar- ship, should have done in ascertaining the truth, instead of writing, with the ahatp édge of your pen ‘poised forthe whispers of irresponsible men, your litle book that slanders the Indian inhabitants of such alarge part of the earth ‘rom this itis clear thatthe basis for Sepilvedas teaching that these people are uncivilized and jgno- rants worse than false. Yet even if we were to grant that this race has no Keenness of mind or artistic ability, certainly they are not, in consequence, obliged to submit themselves to those who are ‘more intelligent and to adopt their ways, so that, if they refuse, they may be subdued by having war waged against them and be enslaved, as happens today. For men are obliged by the natural law to do any things they cannot be forced to do against their will. We are bound by the natural law to @nibrace virtue and imitate the uprightness of {904 men. No one, however, is punished for being Thad'unless he is guilty of rebel ‘lic faith has been preached in a Christian eF and asit ought tobe, all men are bound by Tlural law to accept it, yet no one is forced to ppbthe faith of Christ. No one is punished behe is sunk in vice, unless he is rebellious or Bs the property and persons of others. No one ave been taught logic, they are 4d of music they with wonderful diquite elegantly, toknow whether printed. - yagaserious man Hore he sat down ‘edby. the lies of the honest reli- » peoples for many wefenaracterand have made in ame fr fom of these people and srasping the liberal ‘eis Paolo Giovio, nose peoples whom inhighifstory of Hs ‘orlater generations ato the kingdoms of] ans, occupied the nquered in many bat | ‘ul that ity, set up he gity of Venice ini sulation. a ceIndiati city is. WOR its buildings, whi of human acti is forced to\embrace virtue and show himself as good ian, One who receives a favor is bound by the natural lave to return the favor by what we call antigotal obligation. Yet no one is forced to this, nor is he punished if he omits it, according to the common interpretation ofthe jurists To relieve the need of a brother is a work of ‘mercy to which nature inclines and obliges men, Yetno one is forced to give alms... Therefore, not ven a truly wise man may force an ignorant bar- barian to submit to him, especially by yielding his liberty, without doing him an injustice. This the poor Indians sur, with extreme injustice, against all the laws of God and of men and against the law of nature itself Forevil must not be done that good may come oft REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Las Casas argues that although the Indians are barbarians according to certain definitions, it dloes not fallow that others must rule them, Why not? 2. How does Las Casas use historical and religious examples to turn the argument aguinst those who would subjugate the Indians by force? How diogs he make ethics a part of his argument? 3. What does Las Casas offer as evidence that the Indians were not as barbaric as their enemies proclaimed?6 cutarren 1 THE COLLISION OF CULTURES JUAN DE ONATE rrom Letter from New Mexico (1599) Juan de Onate (b. 1552) was a crioll, somes ‘ane born in New Spain to Spanish par: sei le married Isabel de Toasa Cortés de Montez, the granddaughter of the Spanish conqueror and great-granddaughte fhe Aztec emperor. Alough i ta- Spa al ay have art, bs familys went helped az Onate pushed for perisin to lead an expedition it the Nort 1595 King Philip 1! of Spain Peal gave hi the authority to proceed and “Spread Catholicism, collet sribute J dis, gran last followers, and tanner well as asiorted other Frere in eur for apercntage of te antelpae ches, Onate quickly assembled vin expedition of hundreds of men, women, “African origins, bu then ad to wat for om dered by the new viceroy of New Spain Don vend chien of European, Indian, and er two years because of delays enger Gaspar de Zifigay Acovedo, Cont of seed ay He nll got under way nearly 1598. Me ‘an arduous trek through Monee Mexico, is expedition eventually made I he vonding place that became more JEL Paso. On April 30, 1598, the soldier 0° ‘slaves, and missionaries tear thanksgiving celebration during which OF at proclaimed possession of EL ice fr hs King The expedition sriy tere ‘crossed the Rio Bravo ave (Rio Grande into New Mexico and made W2) ‘through the pueblos and a herias of the naive peoples. Ofate was ser 0 uthless, governor as he aera mutiny in hs on pay and “treason” (fr Ht hhad proclaimed theri sub- jects ofthe king) by Native Americans, Ts votonial conguistador was ttioately se ono Mexico City, where he was convicted on CMS of cruelty in 1608, He recs name on appeal and ended his days it SP From Herberl Eugene Bolton, ed Spanish Esp! From Chases Scribner's Sons, 1916), pp. 16- brackets—Eal] ‘There must be in this province! and én the others above-mentioned,” to make a conservative aerate, seventy thousand Indians settled after eer custom, house adjoining house, with square “the region, in what is now New Mexico and TOs, populaed bythe Tegua people (20W MOTE commonly Known asthe Tiva) son ae rican commie Fanging fom Fl Paso northward, Joration in the Southwest, 1542-1708 (New ter federal insertions appear in square plazas, Tey have no streets and in the pucbl aay contain many plazas or wards one soe fp Joe plaza tothe other through alleys. Tey 6 one rhe stories, ofan estado? anda half tw do anda third each, which later is not 9 are and some houses are of four, five, #4 mons tories. Even whole pueblos dress {2 2 highly colored cotton mantas, white OF ‘lack 2pr nit of measurement equal tthe height of age man.ar the stax for vib other mibled ‘and unit of ugh jaries et Have Tos an ashe an sub- ately He 1706 (New, in square wards, one goes! eae we ett Tro the height of #8 JOAN DE ONATE: rnom Letter from New Mexico (1599) 7 some of thread—very good clothes, Others wear bbutfalo hides; of which there is a great abundance. They have most excellent wool, of whose value Lam sending a small example. eis a land abounding in flesh of buffalo, goats with hideous horns, and turkeys; and in’ Mohoce there is game ofall kinds. There are many wild and ferocious beasts, lions bears, wolves, tigers, penicas, ferrets, porcupines, and other animals; whose hides they tan and use. Towards the west there are bees and very white honey, of which Tam sending a sim- ple. Besides, there are vegetables, a great abundance ofthe best and greatest saines in the world,and a very great many kinds of very rich ores... There are very fine grape vines, rivers, forests of many oaks, and some cork trees, fruits, melons, grapes, watermelons, Castilian plums, eapul, pine-nuts, acorns, ground-nuts, and coralejo, which isa de cious fruit, and other-wild fruits. There are many and very good fish in this:Rio del Norte, and in thers. From the ores here are made all the colors which we use, and they are very fine. ‘The people are in general very comely; their colors like those ofthat land,/and they are much like them in manner and dress; in their grinding, fntheir food, dancing, singing, and many other “hings, except in theic languages, which are many, ih diferent from those there. ‘Their religion con- jp worshipping idols, of which they have many; in thie temples, after their own manner, they hip them with fire, painted reeds, fathers, and “lversal ofering of almost everything they get, Bshas small animals, birds, vegetables ete. In their Btetnment they are free, for although they have Petty captains, they obey them badly and in few things, have’ seen other nations, such as the sor herdsmen, wo live in tents of tanned Fumo the buffalo. The Apaches, of whom also seen some, are innumerable... They ESple whom I have compelled to render obe- O Ills Majesty, although not by means of ments like the rest ofthe provinces. This Some forthe buffalo-hunting Apache tothe dhas caused me much labor, diligence, and care long journeys, with arms on the shoulders, and not a little watching and circumspection; indeed, because ry maese de campo was nots cautiousas he should have been, they killed him with twelve companions ina great pucblo and fortcess called Acéma, which ‘must contain about three thousand Indians. As punishment for its crime and its treason against his Majesty, to whom it had already rendered submis sion by a public instrament,and.asa warning tothe rest; I razed and burned it completely... All these provinces; pueblos, and peoples, I have seen with sy own eyes. ‘Thereis another nation, that of the Cocéyes an innumerable-people with huts and agriculture. Of this nation and ofthe largesettlements at the source of the Rio del Norte and of those to the northwest and west and towards the South Sea, [have num- berless reports, and pearls of remarkable size from the said sea, and assurance that there isan infinite ‘number of them on the coast ofthis country. And as to the east [there is a pueblo of herdsmen] situated in the midst ofthe multitude of buffalo, Which are so numerous that my sargento mayor, who hunted them and brought back their hides, meat, tallow, and suet, asserts that in one herd alone he saw more than there are of our cattle in the com- bined three ranches of Rodrigo del Rio, Salvago, and Jeronimo, Lopez, which are famed in those regions. 1 T should.never cease were I to recount indivi ually all of the many things which occur to me. I can only say that with God's help I shall see them all, and give new worlds, new, peaceful, and grand, tohis Majesty, greater than the good Marquis gave tohim, although he did so much, if you, Illustrious Sit? will give to me the aid, the protection, and the help which Texpect from such a hand, Andalthough confess that Lam crushed at having been so out of favor when I left that country... itis nevertheless true that I never have and never shall lose hope of receiving many and very great favors at the hand of More commonly known as the Pecos. “Thats, Cortés That is, New Spain's viceroy.