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Show 2214 Q4 Relation of the Spanifh Voyage: Commands. The Executioners of the divine Wrath in Hell can't be more wicked and hard-hearted than this fort of Men: They brand 'em with hot Irons, and are continually beating and abufing 'em; they are not content to make 'em labor without inter- miflion, and to fet 'em unreafonable Tasks, but always reproach and chide "em while they undergo this Toil, and befides all this, violate their Wives and Daughters, or make Prefents of many of 'em together to their Maflers on whom they depend, and who fet 'em to work as to many principal Tyrants, who alfo make it their bufinefs to invent cruel and unfufi‘erable Torments. And to hinder the Indians from complaining of their Miferies, they threaten to inform againft'em, that they have feen 'em worl'hip their Idols. This is the fad ftate to which thefe People are reduc'd. They depend on no lefs than four feveral Matters, on your Majei'ty, their Caciquer, the Spaniard to whom they are in- flav'd, and his Deputy, who is the greatefi Plague and Cmeltier 2'" the Weft-Indies. 2 I; conduce to their Converlion and Salvation : and feeing the foveraign and fingle Power you have over 'em is fufficient for the end propos'd, other jurif- didions are not to be tolerated, becaufe they can only prove burdenfom and incommodious, and con- trary to the common Maxims of Government receiv'd in the World, which will not allow a People to be fubjeét to feveral different Princes; much lefs lhould the Indians be thus fubjeé'ced, becaufe of their Poverty, Meeknefs, Patience, Humility, and the tendernefs of their Conftitution, partly occa- fion'd by their going naked, their unwholfom Food, and the Labor they undergo to get their living. After all this 'twould be fuf‘ficientiy tedious and an: cafy to 7em if no other Duties were exacted of 'em than thofe which your Majeity and their Clriques, who are their immediat Princes, impale, How then i can they be able to endure thofe e;;ceii"‘.*e Tesla, thofe heavy Blows, Vexations and Abufe-s of which We have fpoken above? If your Majelty ms :1 Hillel i to 'em that can be. Nay, 'tis impoflible to tell how many Matters they have, feeing all the Spaniards do- mineer over 'em as f0 many Tyrants, robbing'em by turns, and making no fcruple cruelly to abufe and murder "em. Seeing the preaching of the Orthodox Faith is the only thing that could warrant the reduétion of l t0 preferve the Indians from utter Deitrué‘rion, their. new Burdens ought not to be imposd on 'em, nor fhould they be condeinn'd to this fever-e Slavery. This would be to violate the Laws of Jaltice and Charity: For the Malters of Policy and Pruderee ufually fay, that tho a Prince require extraordinary the Indians to a Rate of dependance on any foreign Power, in order to their Converfion, and fceing amftance of his SubjeEts in fome preiling Ereigencms of the Commonwealth, yet where thefe Subjects are none can pretend on this account to be their lawful under other fubordinate and immediate Lords, to Soveraign but your Majeity, it follows that your Whom they are oblig'd to pay the fame Duties, this Majelty ought with all your might to oppofe the Cannot be done, becaufe this would be to over- Power which private Men affume over 'em, and Charge 'em with endlel's Taxes: for 'tis contrary to Which can't be lookid upon as any better than Tl" ranny. Your Majeity is oblig'd for the common gOOd of all your Subjeéts to eftablilh a regular and all Juftice to opprefs "em with a double Burden, and all good Laws formally condemn it', for the Rules itable form of Government among 'em, which may Ofe fince the Indians are already bound to lerve i" ‘ m ' conduct? Of Equity forbid all Oppreflion and injury. There- their natural and immediate Princes, and to pay 'enlll P + ‘t‘. |