_Of what other things happened at Panama, and what the Governor
Rodrigo de Contreras and the Judges said to the Viceroy respecting
the ordinances._
There was no less commotion in Tierra Firme than in Peru on hearing that
the Viceroy intended to enforce the ordinances and to hold the kingdom
under a rule of such right and justice that no one should live in
licentiousness, as had hitherto been the case. Rodrigo de Contreras, who
had been Governor of Nicaragua, was at that time in Panama. He saw that
the Viceroy would not keep in his own bosom a single part of what he had
been ordered to do: but on the contrary declared publicly, so that all
might hear, affirming it with an oath, that he will not have landed at
Tumbez before the Indians had been informed that they were vassals of
the Emperor our Lord, and that the _Encomenderos_ had no authority over
them except for the collection of tribute which the Indians were bound
to pay: also that the ordinances would be enforced as the King had
ordered.
Contreras went to the Viceroy’s lodging, and said: “I cannot believe
that your Lordship is ignorant of the alarm caused by your arrival with
these new laws, among the Spaniards in this empire of the Indies, from
the islands to this part. Even if your ears are deaf to this, as the
tumult has not yet ended, you must have heard the clamour that is made
over it. Neither I nor those here complain that his Majesty has sent the
new laws for, like so very Christian a prince, he desires that affairs
here should be ordered with rectitude and moderation. For we hold for
certain that his ministers who come to execute laws, zealous for his
service, will see that the state of affairs renders it advisable not to
enforce them. I regret, therefore, that your Lordship has publicly
declared that you will not have landed in New Castille before the new
laws are published and enforced. The ordinances which I brought out, not
only did I not publish, but I was in the province a year and more and
had not promulgated them. Later, when it is clear that the provinces are
quieted and that there is no trouble, I shall decide what should be
done. For if the ordinances were hastily enforced it might cause great
evils. In this country the Spaniards are not of low degree, but all
consider themselves great lords of noble parentage, and would be ready
to die rather than submit to the new laws, nor would dissensions and
wars be wanting, the discontent being so great.”
When Contreras said this, the Viceroy replied: “If on all sides the evil
is preferred to the good, and tyranny comes before loyalty, and if the
King has no more part in these realms than those who are here like to
give him, I can believe that what you say is correct. But if you say
that his Majesty’s intention is not altered, how is it that they do not
wish to comply with the royal order? You know very well the poverty
under which our fathers came to discover this empire. It is not so many
years since Columbus sailed from Spain, and avarice has grown rapidly
among those who have settled here. To gain riches they have done many
evil things, almost totally ruining the provinces. If these laws had not
been enacted, in ten years there would be nothing left but ruins, and
the rivers and mountains. Let no one think that ministers of the King
will be guided by the appetites of those here, nor be surprised if I
behead them as traitors.” Saying this the Viceroy retired into his
chamber: and the Governor Rodrigo de Contreras departed.
Soon afterwards the Licentiate Zarate, regretting that the Viceroy
should have said that he would soon enforce the new laws, and not
wishing to speak of a thing which was so hateful to all, entered where
the Viceroy was. He then said that, hearing what was talked about
concerning the new laws, and understanding that they were to be
enforced, he thought it would be proper not to allude to the subject;
rather keep it at the bottom of a box until the land of Peru was
reached, and it was ascertained whether the laws could be conveniently
promulgated. To this, and to what the Judges Cepeda, Alvarez and Tejada
said, the Viceroy replied that he would do what he thought proper. As to
what the accountant Juan de Caceres affirmed, that, from the news he had
received from people in Peru, he gathered that if the ordinances were at
once enforced, the people would take up arms rather than obey, the
Viceroy told him harshly that if he was not a servant of the King he
would order him to be hanged.
These and some other things having happened, the Viceroy hurried his
preparations to go on to Peru, while the Judges continued to talk about
the ordinances, advising that before they were promulgated, time should
be given for the court of justice to be formed, so that then the orders
of his Majesty might be carried out, after mature deliberation. But the
Viceroy thought little of their advice; replying that his duty was to
obey his orders, and for doing so he alone sufficed. So the want of
confidence between him and the Judges was increased.