AXT COMMUNITIES 



discussion in some of our Ohio debating societies: 

 "My country: may she always be right; but, right or 

 wrong, my country!" Xo budding ant citizen would 

 need to debate that question. The commune with ants 

 always has absolute priority with all its citizens. 

 Their supreme law is its demands, for life or for death. 



History and, indeed, our own observation have shown 

 among men examples of somewhat smiliar communal 

 unison under the impulse of great social movements. 

 A wave of patriotic feeling will sweep over city or State 

 or nation, and carry it swiftly along until the purpose 

 or sentiment or emotion that inspired the movement 

 shall be spent in achievement or hopeless failure. Such 

 movements are more unanimous, and so more harmoni- 

 ous, in ant than in human communes. There is absolute 

 good temper and unanimity of feeling among the myriads 

 of inhabitants of our emmet mound city in all move- 



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ments noted, whether peaceful or warlike. Of course, 

 one does not expect such complete fraternity among 

 men, even in far less widely extended citizenships. 

 Whether in this the bipeds or the sexipeds are better 

 off and nearer to nature, let the reader query. If one 

 \vere to indulge such a fancy as that human civics have 



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developed from such lower and simpler forms as ants 

 exhibit, it would seem that in the evolution they have 

 been carried a long way (in some respects) from the 

 original type. 



Xo trait in emmet character is more interesting than 

 this entire devotion of every individual, even unto death, 

 to the welfare of the community. The uprising of a 

 threatened ant city is a remarkable exhibition. The 

 peaceful commune is instantly transformed into an armed 

 camp. There is not the slightest delay or hesitation in 



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