OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. 



475 



ance. It would be more natural to intrust personal rights to the protection of near 

 kindred, tlian to the community at large ; whence, the larger tlie circle of bhjod 

 relatives the greater the assurance of safety. A more cordial recognition of col- 

 lateral consanguine! would be expected to prevail in such a state of society than in 

 civilized communities, where the law or the state is the source of protection. 

 Whilst it is certain that the system does preserve the relationships of remote con- 

 sanguinei by bringing them within the near degrees, thus making the kindred tie 

 more authoritative than the divergence of descents, it does not follow that relation- 

 ships Avould be created in the system which found no sanction in the nature of 

 descents. And finally, since these considerations would neither suggest this 

 particular plan of consanguinity, nor any definite plan, they are rather results of 

 the system, than operative causes in its production. 



The tribal organization stands in a much nearer connection with this system of 

 relationship. This oiganized form of society has existed in all ages, and amongst 

 the greater portion of the nations of mankind in the early periods of their history. 

 It prevails at the present time, to a greater or less extent, amongst the uncivilized 

 nations of Asia, Africa, and America. Within the historical period it has been 

 found so wide spread as to leave no doubt whatever that it is one of the oldest 

 institutions of the human family. In a general sense a tribe is a group of con- 

 sanguinei, not including all of the descendants of a supposed original ancestor, but 

 usually such only as are embraced within the line through which descent is 

 reckoned. If descent is limited to the male li-ne, then it is composed of tlie 

 children of a supposed male ancestor, and his descendants in the male line forever. 

 It would include the sons and daughters of this ancestor, the children of his sons ; 

 and all the children of his lineal male descendants. The children of the males only 

 belong to the tribe, whilst the children of the females would be transferred to the 

 tribe of their respective fathers. In like manner, when descent is limited to the 

 female line, the tribe would consist of a supposed female ancestor, and her 

 descendants in the female line forever. It would include the children of this 

 ancestor, the children of her daughters, and all the children of her lineal female 

 descendants ; the children of the females only belonging to the tribe, whilst the 

 children of the males would be transferred to the tribe of their respective mothers. 

 These results were produced by the prohibition of intermarriage in the tribe, and 

 by assigning the children to the tribe of the father, or to the tribe of the mother, as 

 descent was in the male or in the female line. The last two characteristics of the 

 tribal organization were fundamental. Modified forms of the tribe, as thus 

 explained, may have existed, but this is the substance of the institution. Other 

 incidents pertaining to the tribe have elsewhere (sujn-a, page 139) been explained. 

 Inasmuch as the tribal organization is founded upon consanguinity, and 

 furthermore, since all the members of a tribe are, theoretically, brothers and 

 sisters to each other it might seem probable that it had exercised some influence 

 upon the formation of the classificatory system of relationship. To show how 

 the fact is the tribal relationships must be placed ly the side of those esta- 

 blished by the system of consanguinity, in doing wliicli the illustrations will 

 be drawn from the tribes and system of the Seneca-Iroquois. Two sisters and 



