22 On the ORIGIN and STRUCTURE oj 



confiderable degree of coercion muft be exercifed by a leader, in 

 a warlike expedition that continues for any length of time, and 

 the natural privilege of diftributing the booty, and the mere 

 fplendor of precedence, muft augment greatly his influence. 



THESE remarks, I flatter myfelf, will fufEciently point out 

 my idea of the general ftruc"lure of the German governments. 

 Men, ftill cherifhing the independence of the favage flate, were 

 forced to take meafures for the defence of their riling property. 

 That property occafioned wars, and wars introduced confederacies, 

 military arrangements, and fome degree of fubordination. This 

 fubordination, however, did not deprive the minute tribes, of 

 which the confederacies ultimately confided, of their internal 

 powers. A petty chief, with his tribe, formed by intermarriages 

 into a clan, which claimed a common blood, were like the an- 

 cient pfTf of Attica, or tribules of Italy ; fo many communi- 

 ties, poflefled of judicative, legiflative and executive powers, 

 within themfelves, fimilar to thofe exercifed by the national 

 confederacy. In this way, the form of fociety was nearly inde- 

 flruclible ; and even thofe revolutions which wars occafion 

 would probably contribute to preferve it. When a nation proved 

 unfortunate, its parts coalefced under a different name, and the 

 country was, as formidable and warlike as before. Thus we 

 find, in TACITUS, the names of nations which afterwards diftin- 

 guiihed the conquerors of the empire. But, in his time, they, 

 in general, were the names of only remote and inconfiderable 

 flates, which arofe not to confequence till the confederacies, that 

 were then predominant, had given way in the courfe of contend- 

 ing with the Roman arms. And again it feems reafonable to con- 

 jeclure, that this warfare was the principal caufe of preferving 

 in vigour, during fo many centuries, the fpirit of emigration 

 and conquefl in Germany. By difcouraging agricxilture, it 

 retained the Germans in the paftoral life, and, of confequence, 

 cherilhed in them the inclination, as well as fupplied the means 

 for great enterprifes. Hence thofe extenfive confederacies, fo 



effential 



