It Clearly Appears . . .

(Bartolomé de Las Casas - found here)

“It clearly appears that there are no races in the world, however rude, uncultivated, barbarous, gross, or almost brutal they may be, who cannot be persuaded and brought to a good order and way of life, and made domestic, mild and tractable, provided . . . the method that is proper and natural to men is used; that is, love and gentleness and kindness.”
~Bartolomé de Las Casas

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.