ous part of the community was being
constantly created, which had to be filled up by the labor of negroes.
The negroes could bear the labor in the mines much better than the
Indians; and any man who perceived that a race, of whose Christian
virtues and capabilities he thought highly, were fading away by reason
of being subjected to labor which their natures were incompetent to
endure, and which they were most unjustly condemned to, might prefer the
misery of the smaller number of another race treated with equal
injustice, but more capable of enduring it. I do not say that Las Casas
considered all these things; but, at any rate, in estimating his
conduct, we must recollect that we look at the matter centuries after it
occurred, and see all the extent of the evil arising from circumstances
which no man could then be expected to foresee, and which were
inconsistent with the rest of the clerigo's plans for the preservation
of the Indians.

I suspect that the wisest among us would very likely have erred with
him; and I am not sure that, taking all his plans together, and taking
for granted, as he did then, that his influence at court was to last,
his suggestion about the negroes was an impolitic one.

One more piece of advice Las Casas gave at this time, which, if it had
been adopted, would have been most serviceable. He proposed that forts
for mercantile purposes, containing about thirty persons, should be
erected at intervals along the coast of the _terra firma_, to traffic
with merchandise of Spain for gold, silver, and precious stones; and in
each of these ports ecclesiastics were to be placed, to undertake the
superintendence of spiritual matters. In this scheme may be seen an
anticipation of subsequent plans for commercial intercourse with Africa.
And, indeed, one is constantly reminded by the proceedings in those
times of what has occurred much later and under the auspices of other
nations.

Of all these suggestions, some of them certainly excellent, the only
questionable one was at once adopted. Such is the irony of life. If we
may imagine superior beings looking on at the affairs of men, and
bearing some unperceived part of the great contest in the world, this
was a thing to have gladdened all the hosts of hell.

FOOTNOTES:

[31] Spanish monks, followers of St. Jerome (Hieronymus).

FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE GLOBE

MAGELLAN REACHES THE LADRONES AND PHILIPPINES

A.D. 1519

JOAN BAUTISTA ANTON