CHAPTER XV

THE CONDITIONS OF POLITICAL LIFE IN SPANISH-AMERICAN REPUBLICS

European Views of Spanish America during and after the War of Independence 524

Physical or Geographical Conditions affecting the Political Life 527

Racial Conditions: The Aborigines 528

Economic and Social Conditions 532

Historical Conditions in the Colonial Period 534

Historical Conditions during and since the War of Independence 536

The Peoples of the Republics began with no Experience in the Methods of Free Government 537

Some Revolutionary Leaders did not approve Democracy 538

Would Monarchy or Oligarchy have been Better? 540

Differences between the existing Republics: Three Classes of States 541

Some have truly Republican Governments 543

Influences making for Political Progress 546

European Judgments on Spanish-American Republic unduly Severe 550