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Show 342 DISRERT. v. .. H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. 1 S E C T. II. 01z the mmtal §<.yalities of the Mexicans. HITHERTO we have examined what M. de Paw has hlid concerning the corporal qualities of the Americans. •Let us now fee what arc his [peculations concerning their minds. He has not been able to difcovcr any other characters than a memory fo feeble, that today they do not remember what they did yetterday; a capacity fo blunt, th.a they arc incapable of thin king, or putting their ideas in order; a diCpofition fo cold, that they feel no excitement of love; a daftardly fpirit, and a genius that is torpid and indolent. In fhort, he paints the Americans in fuch colours, and debafes their fouls to fuch a degree, that although he fomctimes inveighs again!l: them, that they put their very rationality in doubt, we do not doubt, that if he had then been confulted, he would have declared himfelf contrary to the opinion of rcztiona!tfts. We know well that many other Europeans, and, what is {bll more wonderful, many of thofe children or defcendants of Europeans who are born in America, think as M. de Paw does; fome from ig1:torance, fome from want of l'efleCl:ion, and others from hereditary prejudice and prepoifeffion. But all this and more would not be fufficient to belie our own experience and the tefiimony of other Europeans whofe authority have a great deal more weight, both becaufe they were men of great judgment, learning, and knowledge of thefe countries, and becaufe they gave their teihmony in favour of il:rangers again! l: their own conntrymen. The attell:ations and arguments which we could adduce in favour of the mental qualities...of the Americans are fo numerous·, that they would fill a great volume; we {hall, howe. ver, to avoid prolixity or confllfion, confine ourfclves to a few, which arc wol"th a thoufand others. Zummarraga, firft bifhop of Mexico, a prelate of happy memoand highly eileemed by the catholic kings, for his learning and irreproachable life, his paftoral zeal and apofl:olic labours, in his letter written in the year 15 3 I, to the general chapter of the P. P. Fran- H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. 343 Francifcans, affembled in Tolofa, fpeaks thus of the Indians: cc They DISSvE. RT. " arc temperate and ingenious, particularly in the art of painting. ~ " They are not ungifted with mental talents. The Lord be praifed " for all." If M. de Paw does not value the tdl:imony of this moil: venerable prelate, whom he calls a bigot and barbarian, in right of that authority which he has arrogated to bimfclf to injure thofe whofe fen-timents are not conformable to his extravagant fy!l:cm of degeneracy, let him read what Las Cafas, the fir!l: bifhop of Chiapa, has written, who knew them well, from having rc:fidcd many years in different parts of America. He in a memorial prefented to Philip II. fpeaks of them thus: " The Americans alfo arc people of a bdght and lively "genius, eafy to be taught and -to apprehend every good doctrine, ex- " tremely ready to embrace our faith and virtuous cu!l:oms, and the " people of all others in the world who feel lea!l: embarra(fment in it." He makes ufe almo!l: of the· fame exprcffions in his refutation of the anfwers of Dr. Sepulveda;. " The Indians have," he fays, " as good " an underftanding and acute a genius, as much docility and capa<.:.ity " for the moral and fpeculati ve fciences, aod are, in moil: in fl:ances, 3S " rational in their political government, as appears from many of their "extremely prudent laws, and are as far advanced in the knowledge of " our faith and religion,. in good cuil:oms and civili~ation where they " have been tutored by perfons of religious and exemplary life, and " are arriving at refinement and polifh as fafi as any nation ever did· " fince the times of the apofl:les." Since M. de Paw believes all that which this learned exemplary prelate wrote againfi the Spaniards, al-though he was not prcfent at the g[·eate.r part o~ the facts wh~ch he· relates, he ought much more' to believe that wh1ch the fame bdhop, depofes in fav.our of the Americans,. as an eye--witnefs and refident among· them;. as there is much lefs requifite to make us believe that the Americans are people of a good genius and difpofition,. than to per-fuade us of thofe horrid and unheard of cruelties of the SpaniOl con-querors. . . . But i£ he does not admit the teftimony of that great bllhop, beeaufe· he efi:eems him, though. wrongfully, to have been a cheat, and ambitious hypocrite he may read the depo!ition .con'cet•ning· them o£ the· fi~ft bifl1op of Tlafcala,, Garces, a mofr lcame.d man, a~d highl~ ~~d· J Ua Y. |