CHAP. XV.

THE trade of Paraguay, and the man|ners of the people, are so much the same with those of the rest of the Spanish colonies in South America, that nothing fur|ther can be said on those articles; but it would be inexcusable to quit the country without saying something of that extraor|dinary species of commonwealth which the jesuits have erected in the interior parts.

About the middle of the last century those fathers represented to the court of Madrid, that their want of success in their missions was owing to the scandal which the im|morality of the Spaniards never failed to give, Page  270 and to the hatred which their insolent be|haviour caused in the Indians wherever they came. They insinuated, that if it were not for that impediment, the empire of the gos|pel might, by their labours, have been ex|tended into the most unknown parts of America; and that all those countries might be subdued to his catholic majesty's obedience without expence and without force. This remonstrance was listened to with attention; the sphere of their labours was marked out; an uncontrouled liberty was given to the jesuits within these limits; and the governors of the adjacent provinces had or|ders not to interfere, nor to suffer any Spa|niard to enter into this pale without licence from the fathers. They on their part a|greed, to pay a certain capitation tax in pro|portion to their flock; and to send a cer|tain number to the king's works when|ever they should be demanded, and the missions should become populous enough to supply them.

On these terms the jesuits entered upon the scene of action, and opened their spiritual cam|paign. They began by gathering together about fifty wandering families, whom they persuad|ed to settle; and they united them into a little township. This was the slight foun|dation upon which they have built a super|strusture, Page  271 which has amazed the world, and added so much power, at the same time that it has brought so much envy and jealousy on their society. For when they had made this beginning, they laboured with such inde|fatigable pains, and with such masterly policy, that, by degrees, they mollified the minds of the most savage nations; fixed the most ram|bling; and subdued the most averse to govern|ment. They prevailed upon thousands of various dispersed tribes of people to embrace their religion, and to submit to their govern|ment; and when they had submitted, the jesuits left nothing undone, that could conduce to their remaining in this subjection, or that could tend to increase their number to the degree requisite for a well ordered and potent society; and their labours were attended with success.

It is said, that from such inconsiderable be|ginnings, several years ago, their subjects a|mounted to three hundred thousand families. They lived in towns; they were regularly clad; they laboured in agriculture; they exer|cised manufactures. Some even aspired to the elegant arts. They were instructed in the military with the most exact discipline; and could raise sixty thousand men well armed. To effect these purposes, from time to time they brought over from Europe seve|ral handicraft men, musicians, and painters. Page  272 These, I am told, were principally from Ger|many and Italy.

We are far from being able to trace with the exactness they deserve, all the steps which were taken in the accomplishment of so ex|traordinary a conquest over the bodies and minds of so many people, without arms or violence; and differently from the methods of all other conquests; not by cutting off a large part of the inhabitants to secure the rest, but by multiplying their people, whilst they ex|tended their territory. Their own accounts are not very ample; and they are partial to themselves without doubt. What others have written is with a glaring prejudice a|gainst them. The particulars which seem best agreed upon by both sides, are the only ones to be mentioned.

It is agreed then, that in each mission or district (the country is divided into forty-seven districts) a jesuit presides in chief. He is lodged in a large and commodious house called the presbitery. Adjoining to this house are the church, and the public magazines. No person under the jurisdiction of the fathers has any thing that can justly be called his own property. Each man's labour is allotted him in proportion to his strength, or to his skill in the profession which he exercises. The pro|duct is brought faithfully into the public ma|gazines; from whence he is again supplied Page  273 with all things which the managers judge to be expedient for the sustenance of himself or his family. All necessaries are distributed re|gularly twice a week; and the magazines al|ways contain such a stock of provisions and goods of every kind, as to answer not only the ordinary exigencies, but to provide against a time of scarcity, or for those whom accidents, age, or infirmities, have disqualified for la|bour.

They provide early for the marriage of their young people, as well to prevent disor|ders, as to multiply their subjects. Here, as interest can be no motive to the union, there are few difficulties attending it. The young man applies to the governing jesuit, informs him of his desire of marriage, and names the party: she is consulted, and if there is no ob|jection upon her part, they are immediately married. They are supplied with all neces|saries for their establishment from the public stores, and they have at the same time their task allotted them, by which they are to make amends for what they have received, and to provide for others in their turn.

Under the jesuit are magistrates, or cazi|ques, of the Indian nation, who regulate all these matters, decide such differences as are too minute for the attention of the father, and give him regularly an exact account of the state of his district, and the merit and de|merit Page  274 of the people which it contains. They are rewarded or punished according to this report. The punishment is by blows, from which it is said not even the principal magi|strates are exempted. These are however re|ceived by all, not only with patience, but ac|knowledgment. The rewards are seldom more than benedictions, and some slight marks of the jesuits favour, which make those men entirely happy.

Nothing can equal the obedience of the people of these missions, except their content|ment under it. Far from murmuring, that they have only the necessaries of life, by a la|bour which might in some degree procure them the conveniencies of it, they think them|selves a distinguished and favoured people in wanting them; and they believe their obe|dience a duty, that not only secures their order and repose in this world, but the very best means of insuring their happiness in the next. This is carefully inculcated; and in|deed besides their attention to the govern|ment, the jesuits are indefatigable in their in|structions in the doctrines of religion, the re|gularity of life, and the contempt of this world. And by what I can find, the Indians under their jurisdiction are an innocent people, civilized without being corrupted.

The jesuits who govern them, are said to be extremely strict in preserving their privilege in Page  275 keeping all strangers from amongst them. If any such should by accident, or in his journey, ar|rive in the country of the missions, he is im|mediately carried to the presbytery, where he is treated for a day, or two at most, with great hospitality, but regarded with no less circumspection. The curiosities of the place are shewed him in company with the jesuit, and he can have no private conversation with any of the natives. In a reasonable time he is civilly dismissed, with a guard to conduct him to the next district, without expence, where he is treated in the same manner, until he is out of the country of the missions. Cau|tions altogether as strict, and in the same spirit, are observed, when the natives are obliged to go out of their own territory to serve in the king's works, or when any part of their troops are called out for his service. They shun all manner of conversation with strangers, upon whom they look with a sort of horror; and so return, uninformed and untainted, into their own country as they left it.

I am sensible, that many have represented the conduct of the jesuits in this mission in a very bad light; but their reflections appear to me not at all supported by the facts upon which they build them. To judge perfectly of the service they have done their people, we must not consider them in a parallel with the flourishing nations of Europe, but as com|pared Page  276 with their neighbours, the savages of South America, or with the state of those In|dians who groan under the Spanish yoke. Con|sidering it in this, which is the true light, it will appear, that human society is infinitely obliged to them for adding to it three hundred thousand families in a well regulated com|munity, in the room of a few vagabond un|taught savages. And indeed, it can scarce be conceived, that any government has not some extraordinary perfection, which has a prin|ciple of increase within it, which draws others to unite themselves to the old stock, and shoots out itself a luxuriance of new branches. Neither can we, by any means, blame a system which produces such salutary effects; and which has found that difficult, but happy way, that grand desideratum in politicks, of uniting a perfect subjection to an entire con|tent and satisfaction of the people. Matters, which, it were to be wished, were studied with more attention by us, who content our|selves with railing at the diligence of an adver|sary, which we should rather praise and imitate; and who in our affairs think of using hardly any other instruments than force or money.

This commonwealth has lately become a subject of much conversation, upon account of the cession which has lately been made of part of that territory to the crown of Portugal. It is well known, that the inhabitants of seven Page  277 of the missions refused to comply with this division, or to suffer themselves to be trans|ferred from one hand to another, like cattle, without their own consent. How the jesuits have acquitted themselves at the courts of Madrid and Lisbon upon this article, I do not know. We are informed by the authority of the gazette, that the Indians actually took up arms; but notwithstanding the exactness of their discipline, they were easily, and with a considerable slaughter, defeated by the Euro|pean troops, who were sent to quell them. It seems to have been ill-judged in this people, who had never seen any real service, nor were headed by officers who had seen any, without which the best discipline is but a sort of play, to have hazarded a battle with troops from Europe. They ought rather to have first habituated themselves to action by at|tacking small parties, by cutting off convoys, by little surprizes, until by use and success in smaller matters, they were intitled to hazard the sum of their affairs in the open field. How|ever, it is not improbable, that this opposition will rouse the indolence of the Spaniards, and make them take the government of the coun|try out of the hands it is in at present. If they do, it is not difficult to foresee, that the same depopulation, the same distress, and the same discontent, which distinguishes the In|dians in the rest of the Spanish provinces, will Page  278 be soon equally visible in this. It will not be difficult for them to effect the reduction of this country; for the jesuits have too large and valuable an interest in Old Spain, as well as in the new world, to dispute it with the court, whenever they shall demand in good earnest to have this country surrendered; if it be true, that the jesuits have really such in|fluence on the inhabitants as is attributed to them.

It was not orginally such bad policy, as it may seem, to have entrusted the jesuits with so great a power; since a little time will shew, that they have given them a territory unknown, unpeopled, and uncultivated, which they have the certain means of repossessing when they please, subdued, peopled, and cultivated. As to it's wealth, it is hard to say any thing certain; the jesuits deny it. And truly if they acted with a perfect policy, they would never have suffered any mines of gold or silver to be opened in that country. Of this matter I have no information upon which I can depend.