A representative assembly
drawn from among themselves would simply reflect their own turbulent
insubordination. It would refuse its authority to all proceedings
which would impose, on their savage independence, any improving
restraint. The mode in which such tribes are usually brought to submit
to the primary conditions of civilised society is through the
necessities of warfare, and the despotic authority indispensable to
military command. A military leader is the only superior to whom
they will submit, except occasionally some prophet supposed to be
inspired from above, or conjurer regarded as possessing miraculous
power. These may exercise a temporary ascendancy, but as it is
merely personal, it rarely effects any change in the general habits of
the people, unless the prophet, like Mahomet, is also a military
chief, and goes forth the armed apostle of a new religion; or unless
the military chiefs ally themselves with his influence, and turn it
into a prop for their own government.
A people are no less unfitted for representative government by the
contrary fault to that last specified; by extreme passiveness, and
ready submission to tyranny. If a people thus prostrated by
character and circumstances could obtain representative
institutions, they would inevitably choose their tyrants as their
representatives, and the yoke would be made heavier on them by the
contrivance which prima facie might be expected to lighten it.
Pages:
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94