XX. The conceit, which upon the first discovery of America was
entertained of its inhabitants, and which still subsists among the
generality of people, is, that they are not so much directed by reason
as by instinct; as if some Circe, in her peregrinations through that
vast country, had transformed all their men into beasts. But with all
this, there are abundant testimonies, that their capacities are in no
wise inferior to ours. The illustrious Palafox, is not contented with
allowing them to be equal to us in natural talents, but in the memorial
he presented to the King in their favour, entitled _A Natural Display
of the Indies_, declares they excel us. He there gives a relation of an
Indian, whose person he knew, and who went by the name of _The Man of
Six Trades_, from his understanding, and being able to work well at that
number; and of another, who learned to build organs in an amazing short
time; and of another, who in an amazing short time also, learned to play
the organ. He there likewise gives an account of the exquisite address,
with which an Indian recovered a horse that had been purloined from him
by a Spaniard. The Indian, commenced a prosecution against the Spaniard
for his horse, and when the trial came on, the beast was brought into
court, where the Spaniard alledged that he had bought him, and had had
him in his possession for several years, which he brought witnesses to
confirm. The Indian, who had no evidence to prove his property in the
horse, finding himself hard pressed, instantly threw his cloak over the
horse’s head, and requested that the Spaniard who insisted that he had
been owner of the horse for so long a time, might tell of which eye he
was blind; the Spaniard, who was taken by surprise, and much confounded
with the question, answered at random, the right; upon which the Indian
pulled the cloak off the horse’s head, and manifested to the whole court,
that he was not blind of either eye; this evinced the roguery of the
Spaniard, and the Indian recovered his horse.
XXI. The Europeans under the command of Cortes, had scarce penetrated
into the kingdom of Mexico, before they experienced many particulars,
which convinced them, that the natives of that country were of the same
species with themselves, and the children of the same common Father. We
read in the History of the Conquest of Mexico, many military stratagems
of the Indians, that were not inferior to those of the Carthaginians, the
Greeks and the Romans; and many people have remarked, that the Crioles or
children of Spaniards who are born in America, are more sprightly, and
have more intellectual quickness, than those who are born in Spain; but
whether what others add, that although their ingenuity manifests itself
sooner, it does not last to so late a period of life, be just or not, I
cannot pretend to determine.
XXII. It would be reasoning erroneously and grossly, to entertain a
mean opinion of the capacities of the Indians, because upon their first
intercourse with us, they gave pieces of gold for glass beads; for he
would be more rude than they, who should conclude they were savage, upon
this account. If we were to view glass free from our prepossession in
favour of gold, glass would appear the most beautiful of the two; and
with respect to what is sought after, for the purpose of ornament and
ostentation, out of two things that are equally beautiful, that which is
most scarce is always preferred. The Americans then in this instance,
did no more than what is done by all the world. They had plenty of gold
but no glass; and it was on this account that they concluded, and not
without reason, that a string of beads, was a fitter ornament to adorn
the neck of a princess, than a gold chain. A diamond, if we only regard
the necessary utility of it, is not of superior value to a glass bead;
but if we regard its lustre, it certainly excels it; and although,
notwithstanding the principal difference between the two things, consists
only, in the lustre and beauty of the diamond, the Asiatics sell the
Europeans a diamond that weighs two ounces, for an amazing number of
pounds sterling; and why is this? It can only be, because such diamonds
are exceedingly scarce. The inhabitants of the island of Formosa,
esteemed fine brass preferable to gold, because they had greater plenty
of gold than fine brass, and continued to do so, till the Hollanders gave
them to understand, the great estimation in which gold was held in other
regions. If there was a greater plenty of gold all over the world, than
there was of fine brass, the last of these metals would be preferred to
the first. Upon the arrival of the Dutch Admiral Matelief at the Cape
of Good Hope in the year 1605, the African inhabitants of that country,
gave him eight and thirty sheep and two bullocks, for a small quantity
of iron, which did not in its value exceed twenty-pence; and the best
of it was, that they were equally satisfied they had imposed upon the
Hollanders, as the Hollanders were that they had imposed upon them. They
had a super-abundance of cattle, and were in great want of iron. And in
whatever country the same super-abundance of cattle, and the same want of
iron prevails, they must purchase the iron with the same number of cattle.
XXIII. Father Lafitau a Missionary Jesuit, who was a long time among
thole North American Indians, who, on account of their being esteemed
the most barbarous of all, are called savages, gives great applauses of
their government and civil policy, and compares them in these respects,
to the antient Lacedemonians: and what is more extraordinary, he also
bestows great panegyrics on their eloquence; and goes so far as to say,
that he has known here and there one of them, whose orations were equal
to those of Cicero and Demosthenes, and expresses some doubt, whether
they may not be said to excel them. This relation of Father Lafitau, may
be seen in the Memoirs of Trevoux of 1724, art. 106. It is possible, that
this account is somewhat hyperbolical; but it should be considered, that
Father Lafitau had a long and an intimate intercourse with these people,
and there is no doubt, but a man who sees things in a near point of view,
can judge better of them, than those who see them at a distance.
XXIV. Our intellectual sight, is exposed to the same defect that our
corporeal one is, and is apt to represent distinct things less than they
are. There is no man, let his stature be as gigantic as it will, who
does not appear like a pigmy at a great distance. The same that happens
with respect to the size of bodies, happens with regard to the stature
of souls. Those nations which are very remote from us, appear so small
in our eye as rational creatures, that we scarce allow them to be endued
with the faculty of reason; but if we were to view them near, we should
probably form a different judgment of them.