IN THE EAST AND WEST INDIES.                              409
themfelves ; they reduced to Slavery the people who book
had cleared them, and condemned them to labours , ^I- t,
incompatible with the nature of their constitution,
and repugnant to their habits. This fyftem of gene-
ral oppreffion excited confiderable infurredions. Thefe
arofe without a concurrence of meafures, without a
chief to dired them, and without a plan ; they were
the effed of defpair alone ; and ended to the difad-
vantage of the too unfortunate Indians. An irritat-
ed conqueror, with fire and fword in hand, paffed
with extreme rapidity from one extremity of the em-
pire to the other, and left in all parts memorable tra-
ces of vengeance, the details of which would make
the moft bloody-minded men Shudder. There was a
barbarous emulation between the officer and the fol-
dier, which fliould facrifice moft vidims ; and even
the commander himfelf, perhaps, furpaffed his troops
and lieutenants in ferocity.
Cortez, however, did not reap the advantages he
might exped from fo many ads of inhumanity.    It
began to be a maxim of policy in the court  of Ma-
drid, not to leave fuch of her fubjeds as had Signalized
themfelves by fome important difcovery, time enough
to fettle themfelves in their authority, from the ap-
prehenfion, well or ill founded, that they might think
of rendering themfelves independent of the Crown.
If the conqueror of Mexico did not give a reafon for
adopting fuch a fyftem, he was at leaft one  of the
firft vidims of it,    The unlimited powers he had at
firft enjoyed, were daily curtailed ; and in procefs of
time, they were fo exceedingly restrained, that he
preferred a private fituation to the vain appearances
of an authority accompanied with the greateft difguft.
This Spaniard was defpotic and cruel ; and his fuc-
ceffes are tarnifhed by the injuftice of his projeds.
He was an affafiin covered with innocent blood : but
his vices were of the times, and of his nation, and
his virtues were his own.   Let us place this man among
the ancients ; let us give him another country, ano-
ther education, another turn of mind, other manners,