INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. loi 



mFLUEN^CE OF THE POST AND TELEGEAPH O^ 

 INTERN'ATIONAL RELATIONS. 



By C. M. DUNBAE. 



IT is a beautiful theory that man was made for society ; but it is 

 an eminently better one that society was made for man. Man 

 was necessarily in existence before society. He contains within him- 

 self all the virtues that are an ornament to society, all the elements 

 that strengthen government. And government, and even society 

 itself, however consequential they may appear to the view of the 

 haughty and superficial observer, are, notwithstanding, only means to 

 an end. That end is the betterment of the material, moral, and intel- 

 lectual conditions of the individuals composing that society and state ; 

 to confer upon them, as far as possible, the greatest amount of happi- 

 ness. For this society was formed, and for this it is maintained. To 

 protect the individual in his pursuit of happiness, governments were 

 instituted, and when they no longer subserve that chief end they be- 

 come obsolete. 



The primitive and fundamental type of governmental organization 

 and authority is the family. Therein the natural affections cement 

 the compact between the different members of the household. Nature 

 also compels the observance of the different duties due from each mem- 

 ber. The duties are mutual. The natural obligation of the head of 

 the family is to provide for the maintenance of those whom he has 

 been instrumental in bringing into the world. And they, on their 

 part, are bound to yield to him the respect naturally due him, and 

 obedience in all matters in which his years of experience render him 

 more fit to judge. This might be said to be the condition. of a fam- 

 ily in a state of nature. Such is the primitive form of government 

 one established by nature itself. Individuals unite into families, fami- 

 lies into clans, clans into villages, villages into provinces, and these 

 into states. All formations subsequent to that of the family are ar- 

 tificial ; but the duties of the members of these corporations to each 

 other and to their rulers or public servants, and the latter to the 

 individual members, are analogous to those of members of a family. 

 It is not the writer's intention to enter here into an extensive view or 

 review of the theory of the social compact, or into a discussion of its 

 fallacy or plausibility ; suffice it to say that it illustrates the principle 

 that the people are the source of governmental authority a principle 

 that, at least, is recognized by all well-informed Americans. 



The different forms of political institutions in existence are due to 

 the different phases of nature with which different peoples have been 

 surrounded. Even the various forms of religious worship, in most 

 cases, owe their origin to some cause produced by nature, whether of 



