THE MILITANT TYPE OF SOCIETY. 595 



ness of life not only by killing their own people for cannibal 

 feasts, but by destroying immense numbers of their infants 

 and by sacrificing victims on such trivial occasions as launch 

 ing a new canoe, so much applaud ferocity that to commit a 

 murder is a glory. Early records of Asiatics and Europeans 

 show us the like relation. What accounts there are of the 

 primitive Mongols, who, when united, massacred western 

 peoples wholesale, show us a chronic reign of violence, both 

 within and without their tribes ; while domestic assassina 

 tions, which from the beginning have characterized the mili 

 tant Turks, continue to characterize them down to our own 

 day. In proof that it was so with the Greek and Latin races 

 it suffices to instance the slaughter of the two thousand helots 

 by the Spartans, whose brutality was habitual, and the 

 murder of large numbers of suspected citizens by jealous 

 Roman emperors, who also, like their subjects, manifested 

 their love of bloodshed in their arenas. That where 



life is little regarded there can be but little regard for liberty, 

 follows necessarily. Those who do not hesitate to end another s 

 activities by killing him, will still less hesitate to restrain his 

 activities by holding him in bondage. Militant savages, 

 whose captives, when not eaten, are enslaved, habitually show 

 us this absence of regard for fellow-men s freedom, which 

 characterizes the members of militant societies in general. 

 How little, under the regime of war, more or less markedly 

 displayed in all early historic societies, there was any sen 

 timent against depriving men of their liberties, is suffi 

 ciently shown by the fact that even in the teachings of 

 primitive Christianity there was no express condemnation of 

 slavery. Naturally the like holds with the right of 



property. Where mastery established by force is honourable, 

 claims to possession by the weaker are likely to be little 

 respected by the stronger. In Fiji it is considered chief-like 

 to seize a subject s goods ; and theft is virtuous if undis 

 covered. Among the Spartans &quot; the ingenious and success 

 ful pilferer gained applause with his booty.&quot; In mediaeval 



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