VERACITY. 487 



the credit of the Ostiaks and Samoieds it must be said, that they 

 are eminently distinguished for integrity and truthfulness." 



But now we have to note facts which make us pause. There 

 are instances of truthfulness among peoples who are but partially 

 peaceful, and among others who are anything but peaceful. 

 Though characterized as " mild, quiet, and timid," the Hottentots 

 have not infrequent wars about territories ; and yet, in agreement 

 with Barrow, Kolben says 



The "Word of a Hottentot " is sacred : and there is hardly any Thing upon 

 Earth they look upon as a fouler Crime than Breach of Engagement." 



Morgan, writing of the Iroquois, states that " the love of truth 

 was another marked trait of the Indian character." And yet, 

 though the Iroquois league was formed avowedly for the preser- 

 vation of peace, and achieved this end in respect of its component 

 nations, these nations carried on hostilities with their neighbors. 

 The Patagonian tribes have frequent fights with one another, as 

 well as with the aggressive Spaniards ; and yet Snow says " A 

 lie with them is held in detestation." The Khonds, too, who be- 

 lieve that truthfulness is one of the most sacred duties imposed by 

 the gods, have " sanguinary conflicts " between tribes respecting 

 their lands. And of the Kolis, inhabiting the highlands of the 

 Dekhan, we read that though " manly, simple and truthful," they 

 are " great plunderers " and guilty of " unrelenting cruelty." 



What is there in common between these truthful and pacific 

 tribes and these truthful tribes which are more or less warlike ? 

 The common trait is that they are not subject to coercive rule. 

 That this is so with tribes which are peaceful, I have shown 

 elsewhere (Principles of Sociology, ii, 573-4) ; and here we 

 come upon the significant fact that it is so, too, with truthful 

 tribes which are not peaceful. The Hottentots are governed by 

 an assembly deciding by a majority, and the head men have but 

 little authority. The Iroquois were under the control of a council 

 of fifty elected sachems, who could be deposed by their tribes ; 

 and military expeditions, led by chiefs chosen for merit, were left 

 to private enterprise and voluntary service. Among the Patago- 

 nians there was but feeble government : followers deserting their 

 chiefs if dissatisfied. Writing of the Khonds' " system of society " 

 Macpherson says " The spirit of equality pervades its whole con- 

 stitution, society is governed by the moral influence of its natural 

 heads alone, to the entire exclusion of the principle of coercive 

 authority." 



In the remarks of sundry travelers, we find evidence that it is 

 the presence or absence of despotic rule which leads to prevalent 

 falsehood or prevalent truth. 



