houses and be allowed sufficient time to cultivate
their own lands; that they should be kept in touch with the Christians and
that they should be paid wages for their work, which might be in clothing
and furnishings rather than in money.

While the discussions inside the commission were going on, the agents of
the colonists were active in presenting their side of the case. Fray
Antonio was likewise losing no time, and was astonishingly successful in
that he won over the very Franciscan whom the colonists had sent to plead
their cause, and converted him into his staunch ally and supporter.

The outcome of this controversy was the code of laws promulgated at Burgos
on Dec. 27, 1512, and known as the Laws of Burgos. They were afterwards
considerably added to by another commission, in which the Prior, Pedro de
Cordoba, who had come to Spain and seen the King, sat, and their
provisions, had they been conscientiously carried out in the sense their
framers designed, would have considerably ameliorated the condition of the
Indians. They constitute the first public recognition of the rights of
the Indians and an attempt, at least, to amend their wrongs.

Three years elapsed between the date of Fray Antonio's first courageous
plea on behalf of the Indians and the entrance of Las Casas upon the
active apostolate in their favour, to which the of his long life was
devoted. There being no other priest at hand, Las Casas was invited to
say mass and preach at Baracoa on the feast of Pentecost in 1514, and in
searching the Scriptures for a suitable text he happened upon the
following verses in the thirty-fourth chapter of Ecclesiasticus, which
arrested his attention and started the train of reasoning destined to
produce great results.

"He that sacrificeth of a thing wrongfully gotten, his offering is
ridiculous, and the gifts of unjust men are not accepted. The most High
is not pleased with the offerings of the wicked; neither is He pacified
for sin by the multitude of sacrifices."

"Whoso bringeth an offering of the goods of the poor doeth as one that
killeth the son before his father's eyes."

"The bread of the needy is their life; he that defraudeth him thereof is a
man of blood."

"He that taketh away his neighbour's living, slayeth him; and he that
defraudeth the labourer of his hire is a bloodshedder."

The perusal of these simply worded texts, replete with terrible
significance, quickened the conscience of Las Casa