city about ten o'clock one morning,
and went at once to the Dominican monastery.

The synod or council that Las Casas had come to attend was composed of
five or six bishops and the chief theologians and learned men of the
colony. Las Casas soon became its leading spirit. Some very bold
declarations were made in favor of the Indians, but the question of
slavery was very unwillingly touched upon. However, the Viceroy, who was
president of the meeting, finally appointed a special council to meet
and discuss this matter. The result of the deliberations of both bodies
on the subject was that all Indian slaves, except a few renegade
rebels, had been enslaved unjustly, and that all personal service
imposed upon those that were not slaves was unlawful.

Of course these conclusions could not be forced upon the country; but
copies of them were distributed all over the province, in the hope that
they might have an effect upon the minds of men.

Las Casas had now fully decided that he could do more for the Indians in
Spain than in his diocese, especially as he could be kept constantly
informed by the Dominicans as to what was going on. He therefore
appointed a Vicar-General to take his place, and sailed from Vera Cruz
in 1547, leaving the shores of America for the last time.

CHAPTER XII

AT COURT

Father Luis Cancer and Father Ladrada were both with Las Casas in Spain.
One of the first things Las Casas did, with the approval of the Prince,
was to organize a missionary expedition to Florida, with Father Luis
Cancer at the head of it. There this faithful friend and devoted
missionary soon after met his death at the hands of the Indians.

While in Chiapa the Bishop had written a little book of instructions to
his clergy. Formal objection to its teachings was laid before the
Council of the Indies, and its author was summoned to come before that
body and explain himself. This he did to their entire satisfaction,
though not to that of his enemies, who engaged the most famous
theologian and lawyer in Spain, Juan Gines Sepulveda, to dispute the
position of Las Casas and answer his arguments. Sepulveda had written a
treatise upholding the conquest of the New World by war. The Council of
the Indies would not allow this book to be published, but Las Casas had
asked them to allow it to be submitted to the universities of Salamanca
and Alcala for their opinion. This opinion proved to be against it.

Las Casas now undertook to