Page 427 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

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New World: che search for gold and silver, for riches, and the search far a piace
where it would be possible ro uve in accordance wich rbe principles in which d1ose
men fìrmly believed. Advenru.rers, deprived of fortune but with sufficient will ro
face che adversicies, and people persecuced in cheir own country for profcssing a
creed differenr from rhe official one, chac meaM che creed of d1e people in power,
and rhis was the human mosaic char ceached me New World wim rhe purpose of
starcing a new Jife.
In accordance co rhis, ir seems logical tbar chis new sociery was founded on
stria and rigid codes of ethics, the codes of tbose marginalized in Europe, especial-
ly in the religious field. The diffe.renr rypes of tbrear reinforced by rhe unknown,
ancl rhe need ofsocial cohesion, required a strong policical unir ro face rhc environ-
mental adversities and tO achicve me individual's emcrprise. lmolerancc and rigid
arùrudes were rra.nsfcred to rhe orher sidc of me ocean, bur with a different look.
In facr, rcligious intolerance was, in some cascs, rhc origin of expansion. and new
comunitics were esrablished.
"Whoever w ho wants ro ad ore a god rhar is not Our Lord, w ili certainly di e",
is one of tbc fi:rsr sraremcnrs of rhc Connccùcur Code of La w from 16.50, and is
mcncioned only as an examplc of what was said then.
Bur, at the same cime, mc conccpts of man's cqualiry and freedom. beliefs
held by che élite of chese small colon ics, broughr che idea of democracy as the mOSl
adequate process of governing rhe polirical unirs which wcrc being crearcd. The
intervemion of rhc people in public affairs, che free votcs on raxation, h urna n free-
doro, the proccss of responsibilization of powcr agencs, courr judgemenrs by jury,
are some examples of the democracic inscrumenrs uscd in some of che coloni es crcared
since che beginning of the sevenreenrh cenrury. However, in rhe midsr of this mosr
compiere democracy some aristocratic instirution.s were establishcd too and were
rhe origin of some fumre confliccs.
As in ali young socicrics, the workings of che social machincry didn't hinder
individuai initiarivc, rhc citizen's spirit of encerprise. The influence of rhe insriru-
rions was nor so hcavy, i t was easy ro get rid of what was not cssenrial, and tbc
regularions were nor so exrensive, as in rradirional socierics. The rigidiry rcgarded
rhe codes of social conduce an d rbe laws of rhe new srares. The horizon of human
acrivicy was probably considered i.ofinire.
In accordance wim che docrrine of colonization followed by the European coun-
rries, the power of goverojng mese oew colonies derived from a charter gramed
by tbc kings co me individuals, proprierors or invcscors, or co companies. Such
a charter constirured a granr of land with ali che righrs associared wirh ir and policl-
cal power . .In some cases, che only limicarion of ics powcr was dur che governmeoc
musc nor contradicr mc laws of colonial power, wich a rninimum incerference an
tbc domesrics issues by the colonia! power.
In orber cases, che stature creaced a royal colony witb che governors and lcad-
ing officers bcing appoi~tcd by rhe crown.