In recent discussions of the Destruction of the Indies, a controversial issue has been whether the Spainards treated the Natives the way that they should have been treated or was this cruel, unnessarily, and inhumane. On one hand, some argue that the Natives were treated cruelly. From this perspective, the Natives were kind, softhearted, and saw the Spaniards as Men of gods creation. They did nothing but be thoughtful and treat the Spaniards with respect, even when it came down to them having to protect themselves. On the other hand, however, others argue that it was the right for the Spaniards to tourment and inflict pain on the Natives. In the words of one of this view's main proponents, "...wayes and means they might expel the Spaniards out of their Countrey, and immediately took up Arms." According to this view, the Spaniards might have been afraid of getting kicked out, so in this respect, the natives motivated the cruelty and the Natives weren't as kind and softhearted as people made them seem. In sum, then, the issue is whether it was really necessary for the Spaniards to be that cruel to the Natives or was it just.
My own view is that the Spaniards treated them this way out of their strong greed for treasures that they didn't even really stop to think about whether their actions were rightly fit to the situation. Though I concede that even if the Natives were creating reason for the Spaniards to treat them in the manner they did, to a degree, I still maintain that how far the Spaniards took it was just inhumane and by far unnecessary. For example, in the passage it say, "They laid Wager among themselves, who should with a Sword at one blow cut, or divide a Man in two; or which of them should sheath his Sword in the Bowels of a Man with the quickest dispatch and expedition. They snatch young babes from the Mothers Breasts, and then dasht out the brains of those innocents against the Rocks; others they cast into Rivers scoffing and jeering them, and call'd upon their Bodies when falling with derision, the true testimony of their Cruelty, to come to them, adn inhumanely exposing others to their Merciless Swords, together with teh Mothers that gave them Life." In addition, that same section of the passage where it talks about the Natives thinking of kicking the Spaniards out and taking up arms, it continues on to say, ".. But, good God, what Arms, do you imagin? Namely such, both Offensive and Defensive, as resemble Reeds wherewith Boys sport with one another, more than Manly Arms and Weapons." Therefore, the Natives we deciding to put their foot down, metephorically speaking, and start defending themselves, but never was their intention to be cruel and torture the Spaniards, even after all the Spaniards had done to the Native people. Although some might object that the Spaniards may have thought that they were forcefully converting the Natives to Christianity and what they were doing was needed to be done, I reply that the Spaniards only thought of their own greed and want for power, may it be unintentionally or not. The issue is important because it is never ok to be so cruel to any form of human life and it changed history forever, as it says in the passage, "As to the firm land, we are certainly satisfied, and assur'd, that the Spaniards by their barbarous and execrable Actions have absolutely depopulated Ten Kingdoms, of greater extent than all Spain, together with the Kingdoms of Arragon and Portugal, that they say, above One Thousand Miles, which now lye wast and desolate, and are absolutely ruined, when as formerly no other Country whatsoever was more populous."
My own view is that the Spaniards treated them this way out of their strong greed for treasures that they didn't even really stop to think about whether their actions were rightly fit to the situation. Though I concede that even if the Natives were creating reason for the Spaniards to treat them in the manner they did, to a degree, I still maintain that how far the Spaniards took it was just inhumane and by far unnecessary. For example, in the passage it say, "They laid Wager among themselves, who should with a Sword at one blow cut, or divide a Man in two; or which of them should sheath his Sword in the Bowels of a Man with the quickest dispatch and expedition. They snatch young babes from the Mothers Breasts, and then dasht out the brains of those innocents against the Rocks; others they cast into Rivers scoffing and jeering them, and call'd upon their Bodies when falling with derision, the true testimony of their Cruelty, to come to them, adn inhumanely exposing others to their Merciless Swords, together with teh Mothers that gave them Life." In addition, that same section of the passage where it talks about the Natives thinking of kicking the Spaniards out and taking up arms, it continues on to say, ".. But, good God, what Arms, do you imagin? Namely such, both Offensive and Defensive, as resemble Reeds wherewith Boys sport with one another, more than Manly Arms and Weapons." Therefore, the Natives we deciding to put their foot down, metephorically speaking, and start defending themselves, but never was their intention to be cruel and torture the Spaniards, even after all the Spaniards had done to the Native people. Although some might object that the Spaniards may have thought that they were forcefully converting the Natives to Christianity and what they were doing was needed to be done, I reply that the Spaniards only thought of their own greed and want for power, may it be unintentionally or not. The issue is important because it is never ok to be so cruel to any form of human life and it changed history forever, as it says in the passage, "As to the firm land, we are certainly satisfied, and assur'd, that the Spaniards by their barbarous and execrable Actions have absolutely depopulated Ten Kingdoms, of greater extent than all Spain, together with the Kingdoms of Arragon and Portugal, that they say, above One Thousand Miles, which now lye wast and desolate, and are absolutely ruined, when as formerly no other Country whatsoever was more populous."
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