of
their commission. Even with our present facilities for rapid
communication, it is not always easy for the central authority to control
its agents and ensure the faithful execution of its intentions. In the
sixteenth century, time and distance influenced powerfully the action of
the government representatives. Their instructions were made complex,
voluminous, in the effort to cover every possible emergency, but no
foresight sufficed for the purpose, while the legal system in use opened
many loopholes for evading or postponing the application of unpopular
measures. An appeal from a royal commissioner's decision, to the India
Council or to the King, entailed a delay of many long months or even
years, during which each party contested every point. The outcome of such
proceedings was problematical but the resisting party was always certain
of the one positive advantage of delay.

CHAPTER VII. - LAS CASAS AND CHARLES V. THE GRAND CHANCELLOR. NEGRO
SLAVERY. EVENTS AT COURT.

As soon as Zuazo arrived, nearly three months after the Jeronymites, Las
Casas immediately lodged against members of the audiencia, an accusation
of having encouraged and shared in the man-hunts in the Lucayan islands
and the enslavement of the captured natives. The Jeronymites, whose every
act was now one of opposition to Las Casas, showed much annoyance at this
impeachment of the royal functionaries. They solicited divers opinions,
addressing themselves to the accused officials, who naturally exculpated
themselves, to the Franciscan monks, who were not over-friendly to the
Indians, and to the Dominicans, who were their warm advocates. Much
discussion ensued, and meanwhile the perplexed Jeronymites did nothing, so
that matters continued as they had been before their arrival, except that
the sufferings of the Indians were augmented by their owners, who feared
that the encomienda system was nearing its end and hence worked their
Indians to death, sparing neither women nor children, so as to get all the
profit they could out of them before they lost them. Charges and
counter-charges were sent to Spain, the Jeronymites complaining of Las
Casas and he in turn denouncing them to Cardinal Ximenez, though many of
his letters were intercepted and never reached their destination. Things
had come to such a pass that the only hope of remedy lay in Las Casas
returning to Spain to file complaints against the very men he had himself
caused to