Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 9.djvu/94

THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS be adopted and observed, all America will be interested in maintaining and enforcing such a system. The independence of Spanish Amer- ica, then, is an interest of primary consideration. But it is sometimes said that they are too ignorant and too superstitious to admit of the existence of free government. This charge of ignorance is often urged by persons themselves actually ignorant of the real condition of that people. I deny the alleged fact of ignorance; I deny the inference from that fact, if it were true, that they want capacity for free govern- ment. And I refuse assent to the further con- clusion if the fact were true, and the inference just, that we are to be indifferent to their fate. All the writers of the most established authority, Depons, Humboldt, and others, concur in as- signing to the people of Spanish America great quickness, genius, and particular aptitude for the acquisition of the exact sciences, and others which they have been allowed to cultivate. In astronomy^ geology, mineralogy, chemistry, bot- any, and so forth, they are allowed to make dis- tinguished proficiency. They justly boast of their Abzate, Velasques, and Gama, and other illustri- ous contributors to science. They have nine universities, and in the City of ]Iexico, it is af- firmed by Humboldt, there are more solid scientific establishments than in any city even of North America. I would refer to the message of the supreme director of La Plata, which I shall hereafter have occasion to use for another 84