establish the poffeffion. Now as the favages (probably from never having read the authors above quoted) had never complied with any of these necessary forms, it plainly followed that they had no right to the foil, but that it was completely at the disposal of the first comers, who had more knowledge, more wants, and more elegant, that is to fay, artificial defires than themfelves.

In entering upon a newly difcovered, uncultivated country, therefore, the new comers were but taking poffeffion of what, according to the aforefaid doctrine, was their own property-therefore in opposing them, the favages were invading their just rights, infringing the immutable laws of nature, and counteracting the will of heaven--therefore they were guilty of impiety, burglary and trespass on the case, therefore they were hardened offenders against God and man-therefore they ought to be exterminated.

But a more irresistible right than either that I have mentioned, and one which will be the moft readily admitted by my reader, provided he be bleffed with bowels of charity and philanthropy, is the right acquired by civilization. All the world knows the lamentable state in which these poor favages were found. Not only deficient in the comforts of life, but what is ftill worse, moft piteously and unfortunately blind to the miseries of their fituation. But no fooner did the benevolent inhabitants of Europe behold their fad condition than they immediately went to work to amelio

rate and improve it. They introduced among them. rum, gin, brandy, and the other comforts of life-and it is astonishing to read how foon the poor favages learnt to estimate thefe bleffings-they likewife made known to them a thousand remedies, by which the moft inveterate diseases are alleviated and healed, and that they might comprehend the benefits and enjoy the comforts of thefe medicines, they previously introduced among them the difeafes, which they were calculated to cure. By thefe and a variety of other methods was the condition of these poor favages wonderfully improved; they acquired a thoufand wants, of which they had before been ignorant, and as he has moft fources of happiness, who has moft wants to be gratified, they were doubtlefsly rendered a much happier race of beings.

But the most important branch of civilization, and which has most strenuously been extolled, by the zealous and pious fathers of the Romish Church, is the introduction of the Chriftian faith. It was truly as fight that might well infpire horror, to behold these favages, ftumbling among the dark mountains of pa ganism, and guilty of the moft horrible ignorance of religion. It is true, they neither ftole nor defrauded; they were fober, frugal, continent, and faithful to their word; but though they acted right habitually, itt was all in vain, unless they acted: fo from precept. The new comers therefore used every method, to ins

duce them to embrace and practise the true religionexcept indeed that of fetting them the example.

But notwithstanding all these complicated labours for their good, fuch was the unparalleled obstinacy of these stubborn wretches, that they ungratefully refused to acknowledge the ftrangers as their benefactors, and perfifted in difbelieving the doctrines they endeavoured to inculcate; most infolently alledging, that from their conduct, the advocates of Christianity did not feem to believe in it themselves. Was not this too much for human patience?—would not one fuppofe, that the benign vifitants from Europe, provoked at their incredulity, and discouraged by their ftiff-necked obftinacy, would forever have abandoned their fhores, and configned them to their original ignorance and misery?-But no-fo zealous were they to effect the temporal comfort and eternal falvation of these pagan infidels, that they even proceeded from the milder means of perfuafion, to the more painful and troublesome one of perfecution-Let loose among them whole troops of fiery monks and furious bloodhounds-purified them by fire and sword, by stake and faggot; in confequence of which indefatigable measures, the cause of Christian love and charity was fo rapidly advanced, that in a very few years, not one fifth of the number of unbelievers exifted in South America, that were found there at the time of its discovery.

What stronger right need the European fettlers advance to the country than this? Have not whole nations of uninformed favages been made acquainted with a thousand imperious wants and indispensable comforts, of which they were before wholly ignorantHave they not been literally hunted and smoked out of the dens and lurking places of ignorance and infidelity, and absolutely fcourged into the right path? Have not the temporal things, the vain baubles and filthy lucre of this world, which were too apt to engage their worldly and selfish thoughts, been benevolently taken from them; and have they not in stead thereof, been taught to fet their affections on things above? And finally, to use the words of a reverend Spanish father, in a letter to his fuperior in Spain— "Can any one have the prefumption to say, that these "favage Pagans, have yielded any thing more than an "inconfiderable recompenfe to their benefactors; in "surrendering to them a little pitiful tract of this dirty fublunary planet, in exchange for a glorious inhe"ritance in the kingdom of Heaven!"

Here then are three complete and undeniable fources of right established, any one of which was more than ample to establish a property in the newly discovered regions of America. Now, fo it has happened in certain parts of this delightful quarter of the globe, that the right of discovery has been fo ftrenuously afferted the influence of cultivation fo induftriously extended, and the progrefs of falvation and civiliza

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tion fo zealously profecuted, that, what with their at tendant wars, perfecutions, oppreffions, diseases, and other partial evils that often hang on the skirts o great benefits the savage aborigines have, fome how or another, been utterly annihilated-and this all a once brings me to a fourth right, which is worth al the others put together-For the original claimants to the foil being all dead and buried, and no one remaining to inherit or dispute the foil, the Spaniards as the next immediate occupants, entered upon the poffeffion as clearly as the hang-man fucceeds to the clothes of the malefactor-and as they have Blackftone,* and all the learned expounders of the law on their fide, they may fet all actions of ejectment at defiance and this last right may be entitled, the RIGHT BY EXTERMINATION, or in other words, the

RIGHT BY GUN-POWder.

But left any fcruples of confcience fhould remain on this head, and to fettle the queftion of right for ever, his holiness Pope Alexander VI, issued a mighty bull, by which he generously granted the newly discovered quarter of the globe to the Spaniards and Portuguese; who, thus having law and gospel on their fide, and being inflamed with great fpiritual zeal, showed the Pagan favages neither favour nor affection, but profecuted the work of discovery, colonization, civilization, and extermination, with ten times more fury than ever.

*Bl. Com. B. II. c. 1.