Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-08-14
LAS CAsAs AND SPAIN.
A Great Work in Manuscript Kept HID
den Away.

Written by II. r. Howison for the Dlspatch.l
Very few persons except those specially
devoted 10 the study of the sources OF
history, have realized the darkness sur
rounding the great work in manuscript
entitled, General History of the Indies"
written by the Spanish priest Las Casas,
and now jealousy guarded among the Sc
cret archives of the Court of Spain. 1T 10
in three bulky volumes. Herrera and
Llorente and kavarrete aud Wash
ington Irving have all been permitted TO
examine il, but under such restrictions
that the great mass Of Its contents
constitutes an unknown region yet Tor the
reading world. The Spanish authorities
have never permitted It's publication IN
full, either in the language in which IT IS
written or in any translated form. IL had
not been published when the fullest and
latest of our encyclopedia works relating
10 Spanish discoveries and early colonl-
cation appeared in print With the faint
hope that this veil OF secrecy might have
been lifted within the past twenty-five or
thirty years, | wrote lately to we'll
known and industrious publishing and
book-collecting house IN New YORK, Dut,
after time. received q reply that Las
Casas's History of the Indies, as whole.
has never been in PRINT.
The reason for this reserve "a 20 one OF
the most interesting and important OF all
our sources of early American history Will
probably continue in force SO long as spain
is q monarchy under her existing race OF
rulers. When she cuts herself adrift from
the past 80 completely as TO become re-
public governed by representatives freely
chosen by her people, then it is probable
that the great work of Las Casas will be
given to the public willngly,t that the world
may know something more OF the bideous
crimes and immoralities Of kings and their
accredited servants.
LIFE OF LAS cAsAs.
Bartolome de Las Cssas was born of
French psrentage in Seville in 1474. and
died in Madrid IN 1866. His father, Anto-
MO, accompanied Columbus in nearly all
of his voyages Of discovery to the Amerl-
can islands and continent, and came back
III 14ss, very rich. to his home IN Seville.
Some biographers tell us that Bartolome
also, though quite young. went with Co
lumbus In his second voyage TO the New
World. But .his is mistake. He was
then hard student at Salamanca, study
lug Latin, dialectics, metaphysics, ethics
and everything that Aristotle could teach.
But even IN his youth he had "a taste OF
the quality" of Columbus. The work of
COW eTting the Indians into slaves had been
already commenced by the great naviga-
tor, and he had given to Antonio an Indian
boy whom the father bestowed on Barto-
lone rs his slave, and who was held By
him as such during his university life.
When Queen Isabella learned OF all that
Columbus had done in making slaves of
the natives she was justly indignant, and
ordered that all such then In Spain should
be sent back TO the islands. Thus young
Bartolome de Las Casas lost his Indian
slave, and hls reflections at that time on
the whole subject are believed to have
permanently affected all his subsequent
career. IL is certain that he became tho
earnest, loving advocate and friend OF the
poor natives, both IN the islands aud on
the American continent, "a far as Spain
controlled il, and that he did all in his
power 10 save Thorn from the inhumanities
inaugurated by Columbus and increased
by his successors
Las Casas came first to st. Domingo with
Don Nicholas de Ovando, who superseded
Bobadilla as governor in 1902. Ovando
was one of the most atroc.ous and cruel OF
all the Spanish rulers in the New World in
his treatment OF the natives. Columbus
had set HIM the evil example, and he toll
lowed 1t faithfully. 1t is remarkable that
Irving In his life of Columbus seldom al
ludes TO any disclosures of Las Casas as to
the conduct of the great Admiral and Vice
ROY, but gives us quite fully from the Ms.
history the horrors of the administration
OF 0yando. And yet it is from the pen Of
belief that the judgments of God had do
scended upon Columbus because OF his
conduct to the natives.
LAS cAsAs TRUTHFUL.
Las Casas was q good and truthful man.
He was Christian philanthropist in the
best sense. True IL rs that in 1911 he
began 10 advocate the policy or bringing
negro slaves from Africa TO be substituted
for the unhappy natives IN the gold and
silyer-mines OF the American islands and
continent, but TINS policy was not inau-
eurated by hun. IL had been set in move
ment by the rulers of Spain and Portugal
from the year 1901 onward. Ii was not
until IL had been proved by facts that one
negro as a laborer was equal to four
Indians. and that the African race instead
Of dying out increased and tiourished
in the West Indies, that Las Casas
lent his countenance 10 this policy.
His labors to amehorate the suiferings OF
the natives were arduons and incessant.
Between has 2Sth aud his 10th year he
crossed the Atlantic sixteen times Tor
these purposes OF humanity He collect
cd a large amount OF historical material,
which be has used in his great Ms.
history. He knew perfectly well that this
work disclosed facts of the darkest
character affecting the name aud fame
of every ruler and nearly every
prominent officer OF Spain who had TO
any extent controlled the movements in
tho New World. Therefore. at his death in
his esd year. he lett WRIT note at
tached to his Ms. history. and made in
1860, 70 the effect that the prelates of st.
Gregorio in Nalladolid. 70 whose custody
he committed il. should not permit any
secular person or even any collegian to
read il until after forty years had passed,
and that. even after that period, it should
not be printed unless consistent With the
good of the Indies and OF Spain (Naysr-
retel.
What food OF light would this work. if
published IN full. throw on the motives
and conduct OF Coiumbus aud all the
rulers and officers OF Spain in those days
Of the blacklist wickedness ever perpe-
trated bY people calling themselves Chris |
tians Will spain permit full aud per-
feet copy of this jeaiouslY-gusrded N. s. |
TO appear among the wonders OF the Chi
cago Worlds FAIR Expoationl We Will |
see.