ABSTRACT
The colonies of Spain and England stand in sharp contrast in this regard. A Spanish colony, whether viewed with reference to its organization or to its influence, is widely different from an English colony. The Spanish dependencies have from the outset been equipped with ample legal machinery. In theory all the vast possessions of Spain in America were dependencies of the crown, and not subject to the government of the authorities, aside from the king, that ruled in Spain. Under the rigid rule of the Council of the Indies and its subordinates, the great body of the people in the Spanish colonies learned only one lesson, and that was the necessity of obedience. The contrast between the origin of the Spanish-American states and that of the United States not only helps to explain the difference between their institutions, but also affords certain indications as to the difference between their later courses of political development.
