New-York daily tribune., 1844-05-29
MN, TRIBU N E i.
Prepared 70, The Tribune.
-errcs OF THE REVOLUTIONARY HISTORY
shbi'" OF The
.,,,rw AND SOUTH AMERICAN REPUBLICS
UEIJCO.

Is.n made Slie> VI P'''o'' '- -
sffs yrni,e,s Of the Democratic ke'iew.l
Tsr most beautiful portions Of the New World
,hs heritage OF Spain from the enter
90. ar her ma vigators and valor of her soldiers.
T.. Eno;re resched from Cape Horn to the
Tonic na Of Cancer, and beyond IT. on the Pacific,
~, ,,.om Rrszil 10 Georgia on the Atlantic. Be-
~. ,b;s the most valuable Islands of the West
,.x., Archipelago belonged 10 her. As has
w.. hsen said of England, the sun never ceased
.h;oc on her flag, and 20 have spoken person.
.nr to his subjects, the Spanish Monarch,
-:,a have needed more than the apostol
|, !. Gh of tongues. Nor was the possession
.s,ais vast domain fccting, as that Of previous
.o,ooerors had been. Mohamed had acquired
=. ,s extended, bpt before his death was pub
r.Asd to the world, his Lieutcnants had begun TO
g.,,c about and dismem5cr his Enlpife, an;
Ne various, Tartar Empires disappeared as
andy as they had risen. The Spanish Empire
l,..5 for three centuries and fell asundcr finally
ioni,s own weight. True, the system of CO.
,nuent was bad and the people oppressed, bnt
they felt it not; for they were degraded, and made
,o complaint against their Governors except
vbsn some yice.King refused to comply with their
,l.uorous demands for Pan q Toros. Dread
End BulLfghts)
The vast region possessed by Spain in this
Hemisphere, was subdivided into Kingdoms,
each Of the principal Of which was governed by
,VceK King, around whom was reflected all the
sendur of European Royalty. Each of these
Kingdoms had its own Laws, its own system of
Jrsprudence, theoretically enacted with especial
reference to the conditions of the people TO
bs governed by it, containing as much as
might be of the old Indian or Aztec Laws.
The Laws of the Spanish Empire were used
ONLY to interpret doubtful points, or to cover
CASES NOT provided for in the code. A gen.
era supervision of this Union of States and
Kingdoms belonged to the Supreme Council
ofthe Indies which acted or was supposed to act
always in the name OF and by the advice OF
the King 1t was the Legislature of the EN-.
pre- OF the Indies, the confirming power of all
civil and military appointments, and a final Court
. oi Judicatnre from whose sentence there was no
appeal except to tho King himself.
There was one great defect in the organization
Of this body 1t was composed of Prieste aho
Nobcs OF Old Spain, VINO were ignorant of the
condition of those for whom they leglslated; and
how could they be otherwise? The experience
of past ages could throw no light on their labors
Their subjects were, in condition and character,
unlike any thing which the Old World had ever
seen or chrsnicied and not small portion Of
the abuses suffered by the Peruvian and Mcxi.
can must be attributed to the ignorance, and
no the cruelty, OF their aw.mascrs The
lOudest complaints were but indistnctly heard
across the Atlantic; and even the Father Tor.
gaemada, cruel as he was, would have felt his
soul recoil within him at the outrages committed
by tie knightly end reverend cmissarics of the
ReGl Audenc;c.
Mexico, New Grenada, Fcru and La Plata
were kingdoms. ST. Domingo, Cuba to which
was attached Louisiana, Guatamala, Chill, and
the Philippine Islands, were governed by Cap
tains General and the smaller provinces by Pre-.
sdent6s.
The Kingdoms, Captain Gcneralcies and Pre-
Hdencies were subdvidcd into Provinces, or to
use the Spanish term, Ayuntamientos.
The Vice-Kings were what their name implies,
representatives. OF the King, absolute as u Per-
san Satrap or Roman Proconsul, omnipoten,
from the fact of their uniting the control of the
Treasury and The command of the Army. Sub.
sequently, it is true, the superintendent of the
hSca concerns Of the Kingdoms was entrusted as
Is now the case in Cuba, to an lntcndente; but
The effect of this new office was but to impose "a
slight control on the Vice King similar to that pro.
auced IN monarchy Of to-day; when, as in
france, IN the last century, the King ceases 10
0e absolute, aud governs by Constitution.
These Offices being conferred always upon no.
Dies and courtiers who, from the nature OF things,
and constitution of Spanish society, could be cx
Pecied to know but little of the science Of Gov
efhlnent, TO each OF them were given Fiscales, or
P'isy councillors, whom they were bound to con.
SUIT Should the Vice King act contrary to the ad
vice OF the Fiscale, those officers MIGHT deposit
u'el protest among the archives Of the Kingdom,
~hen OF course, In due time, it would come before
the audience of the Indies. AS another check
upon these high digni,arics, upon the retirement
oil each Vice hing, an officer was appointed to re.
ce'se all complaints which mightbc made aga;ns,
him, and within certain time he might be arraicp.
ed ;or misconduct in Office.
There were, beside, what were called Audien.
eias, powerful in theory, composed of K or eight
Judges who were the representatives Of the Su.
preme Council Of tho Indies. OF these Audi.
eacias the Vice. King, or Captain General, was e.
eGFeio President; but, on ordinary occasions
they were presided over by one of their owr
body. When they were independent, they were
Of vast value, as even the dicta of the Captains
General or Vice Kings might be reversed by
them; but they were too near the vicc-Rega
Throne not to be overshadowcd by it. The
poorer classes, the Indians, were practically
however, forbidden TO avail themselves of it.
benefits as, previously to entering complaint