It took the sturdy directness of Oliver Cromwell to put an end to these
outrages. He sent word to the Spanish minister that there must be a stop
put to the practices of the Inquisition and to the restriction of free
navigation in the West Indies. The minister replied, that to ask for these
two things was "to ask for his master's two eyes," and that no such thing
could be allowed. Cromwell's reply was to the point:
"I know of no title that the Spaniards hath but by force, which by the
same title may be repelled. And as to the first discovery--to me it seems
as little reason that the sailing of a Spanish ship upon the coast of
India should entitle the king of Spain to that country as the sailing of
an Indian or English ship upon the coast of Spain should entitle either
the Indians or the English to the dominion thereof. The Spaniards have
contravented the Treaty of 1630. War must needs be justifiable when peace
is not allowable."
This reply was certainly one marked by sound logic and good sense. It was
the rule of force, not of right, that lay behind all claims to dominion in
America, and this rule could be set aside by superior force.
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