A Plea from Las Casas - 1544
Bartolemé de Las Casas
Introduction
From their arrival in the New World, the Spanish treated the native populace with great cruelty. Bartolomé de Las Casas participated in raids on the Indians until, while reading the Bible, he became convinced the Spanish had been wrong to seize native lands and treat the inhabitants with barbarity. He freed his slaves and preached that all slave-owners should do the same. He became a champion for the Indians and succeeded in having new laws promulgated from Spain. These were largely ignored by the colonists. Eventually Spanish authorities appointed Las Casas bishop of the Chiapas region of Mexico. He had virtually no income at the time, and in a letter composed this day, March 31, 1544, pleaded that the king send him some money that was owing him. True to form, the remainder of the letter championed the Indians.
Quote
“Very High and Potent Lords…
“Everyone here is quite well and receiving shelter and charity from the monasteries. The Provincial and the Prior of this convent of San Pablo and the others have well carried out Your Highness's orders in this respect. All kiss the hands of Your Highness and pray God to prolong the life and Royal state of Your Highness, especially Fray Rodrigo—our companion. I beseech Your Highness, for the service of God, to provide that the relief and freedom which His Majesty granted to the Indians in the island of Cuba may be made effective, before those who hold them have finished destroying and killing them, for they are and have been most shamefully oppressed, afflicted, and reduced in number in all those parts of the Indies.
“Likewise, that, since the Archdeacon Alvaro de Castro, whom Your Highness charged with the care of the Indians in Hispaniola, is dead, Your Highness will order that duty assigned to some devout friar or ecclesiastic so that those who survive, few as they are, may not be deprived of the enjoyment of the relief and favour His Majesty granted them. It seems to me it would be well, should Your Highness so please, to bestow it on Canon Albaro de Leon who is a Canon of La Vega, or on Gregorio de Viguera, Dean of the same church of La Vega.
“May the Lord increase and prosper the fortunate life and very high estate of Your Highness in His holy service, Amen. Seville 31st March 1544 Your servant who kisses your Royal hands—Fray Bartholomew de las Casas, Bishop.”
MacNutt, Francis Augustus. Bartholomew de Las Casas; his life, apostolate, and writings. Cleveland: The Arthur H. Clark Company, 1909.