460 POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS. 



injuries done by its members to members of other families ; 

 just as the entire society is held liable by other entire 

 societies. This responsibility holds not alone for lives taken 

 by members of the family-group, but also for damages they 

 do to property, and for pecuniary claims. 



&quot; Dans les districts Albanais libres, les dettes sont contractees a terme\ 

 En cas de non-paiement, on a recours aux chefs de la tribu dii 

 debiteur, et si ceux-ci refusent de faire droit, on arr^te le premie 

 venu qui appartient a cette tribu, et on 1 accable de mauvais traitements 

 jusqu a ce qu il s entende avec le veritable debiteur, ou qu il paie lui- 

 meme ses dettes, risque a se pouvoir ensuite devant les anciens de sa 

 tribu ou de poursuivre par les armes celui qui lui a valu ce dommage.&quot; 



And of the old English ma3gth we read that &quot; if any one was 

 imprisoned for theft, witchcraft, &c. ; his kindred must pay 

 the fine . . . and must become surety for his good conduct 

 on his release.&quot; 



While, within the political aggregate, each compound 

 family-group thus stood towards other such included groups 

 in quasi-political relations, its government exercised internal 

 control. In the gens as constituted among the American 

 peoples above named, there is administration of affairs by its 

 council. The gentile divisions among historic peoples were 

 ruled by their patriarchs ; as are still those of the Hindoos by 

 their chosen elders. And then besides this judicial organi 

 zation within the assemblage of kindred, there is the religious 

 organization, arising from worship of a common ancestor, 

 which entails periodic joint observances. 



Thus the evidence shows us that while the massing 

 together of groups by war, has, for its concomitant, develop 

 ment of a political organization which dominates over the 

 organizations of communities of kindred, yet these com 

 munities of kindred long survive, and partially retain their 

 autonomies and their constitutions. 



512. Social progress, however, transforms them in sundry 

 ways differentiating them into groups which gradually lose 

 their family-characters. One cause is change from the wander- 



