THE MILITANT TYPE OF SOCIETY. 579 



captives has arisen, these also serve to support and aid the 

 combatant class ; acting during peace as producers and during 

 war joining the women in attendance on the army, as among 

 the New Zealanders, or, as among the Malagasy, bciug then 

 exclusively the carriers of provisions, &c. Again, in these 

 first stages, as in later stages, we are shown that private 

 claims are, in the militant type, over-ridden by public claims. 

 The life of each man is held subject to the needs of the 

 group ; and, by implication, his freedom of action is similarly 

 held. So, too, with his goods ; as instance the remark made 

 of the Brazilian Indians, that personal property, recognized 

 but to a limited extent during peace, is scarcely at all recog 

 nized during war ; and as instance Hearne s statement con 

 cerning certain hyperborean tribes of North America when 

 about to make war, that property of every kind that could 

 be of general use now ceased to be private.&quot; To which add 

 the cardinal truth, once more to be repeated, that where no 

 political subordination exists war initiates it. Tacitly or 

 overtly a chief is temporarily acknowledged ; and he gains 

 permanent power if war continues. From these beginnings 

 of the militant type which small groups show us, let us pass 

 to its developed forms as shown in larger groups. 



&quot; The army, or what is nearly synonymous, the nation of 

 Dahome,&quot; to quote Burton s words, furnishes us with a good 

 example : the excessive militancy being indicated by the fact 

 that the royal bedroom is paved with skulls of enemies. 

 Here the king is absolute, and is regarded as supernatural in 

 character he is the &quot; spirit ;&quot; and of course he is the religious 

 head lie ordains the priests. He absorbs in himself all 

 powers and all rights : &quot; by the state-law of Dahome ... all 

 men are slaves to the king.&quot; He &quot; is heir to all his subjects;&quot; 

 and he takes from living subjects whatever he likes. When 

 we add that there is a frequent killing of victims to carry 

 messages to the other world, as well as occasions on which 

 numbers are sacrificed to supply deceased kings with attend 

 ants, we are shown that life, liberty, and property, are at tho 

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