Page:A history of Chile.djvu/142

I30 A HISTORY OF CHILE the natives and American born Spanish people from the mother country. They practiced horrible cruelties upon the Indians, enslaving them upon their fiefs, and compelling them to work and perish in the mines. The Spanish system of governing was tyrannical in the ex- treme, and gave the people few of the benefits of gov- ernment, of their labor and of the natural productions of the countries ; the right of cultivation of grapes, olives and tobacco was denied them ; they were com- pelled to buy their wines, oils and tobacco from monop- olies promoted by the mother country; enormous duties were levied upon all imported manufactured goods, and these importations were confined to a monopoly of Cadiz merchants who sent out only a few vessels each year. These goods the natives were compelled to purchase at extortionate prices by the Spanish gov- ernors, who often shared in the profits. The financial system of the colonies was based upon a perfect monop- oly and exclusion in favor of Spain, and the revenues were raised in a corrupt and tyrannical manner. The estanco was a monopoly which the government claimed for itself exclusively ; it was a monopoly of the growth and sale of tobacco, and sale of foreign wines and spirits. Of these, tobacco j'ielded an immense profit. Guayaquil was the principal place for the cultivation of the plant; at Lima, the king had extensive central warehouses. No tobacco Yas suffered to grow in Chile; every per- son retailing the article must pay a license and even then could only purchase from the government depots, which were established in the different towns. In the year 1808, the royal revenues from tobacco amounted to $183,278, and it is probable that the amount would have reached $300,000, had it not been for official pec- ulations and depreciations in value. Another burden the colonies endured under Spanish