It was the failure of certain Spaniards to live up to these regulations that caused the liberal-minded Jesuit, Alphonso Sandoval, to register the first protest against slavery in America.[5] In later years the change in the attitude of the Spaniards toward this problem was noted.

In Mexico the ayuntamientos were under the most rigid responsibility to see that free children born of slaves received the best education that could be given them.

They had to place them "for that purpose at the public schools and other places of instruction wherein they" might "become useful to society."[6] [Footnote 1: Proslavery Argument; and Lecky, _History of England_, vol.ii., p.

17.] [Footnote 2: Faust, _German Element in United States_, vol.i., pp.
242-43.] [Footnote 3: Bancroft, _History of United States_, vol.i., p.

124.] [Footnote 4: Herrera, _Historia General_, dec.iv., libro ii.; dec.
v., libro ii.; dec.vii., libro iv.] [Footnote 5: Bourne, _Spain in America_, p.