American Biography; Or, an Historical Account of Those Persons Who Have Been Distinguished in America, as Adventurers, Statesmen, Philosophers, Divine (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1843 edition. Excerpt: ...protecting them; and they had retired to a distant part of the island, which proved a resort for the seditious and discontented. Their commander was Francis Roldan, who had been chief-justice of the colo Francisco Roldan was one of those vipers, too many of which crossed the path of Columbus, who stung their benefactor. Columbus had raised him from poverty and obscurity, and, obny; and their number was so considerable that Columbus could not command a force sufficient to subdue them. He therefore entered into a negotiation, by offering a pardon to those who would submit, and liberty of returning to Spain to those who desired it. These offers, however impolitic, proved successful. Roldan himself accepted them, and persuaded others to do the same; then, being restored to his office, he tried and condemned the refractory, some of whom were put to death. An account of this mutiny was sent home to Spain by Columbus, and another by Roldan. Each had his advocates at court, and the cause was heard by the king and queen. Roldan and his men were accused of adultery, perjury, robbery, murder, and disturbing the peace of the whole island; while Colum serving his strong sense, had made him a justice of the peace, and on his own return to Spain appointed him chief-justice of the colony. He had now only to supplant Bartholomew Columbus, left governor in his absence, to become the chief man in the colony; and such was the meanness of his treacherous ambition, that he scrupled at no means to gratify it. He conspired with the dissolute and mutinous to assassinate the governor, and was prevented from doing it only by an accident; and having been defeated in this plan, he withdrew, with his party in a formal opposition to the government, till the return of...