40 HOUSES AND HOUSE-LIFE OF THE AMERICAN ABORIGINES. 
The Iroquois confederacy is an excellent exemplification of a gentile 
society under this form of organization. It seems to realize all the capa- 
bilities of gentile institutions in the Lower Status of barbarism, leaving an 
opportunity for further development, but no subsequent plan of govern- 
ment until the institutions of political society, founded upon territory and 
upon property, with the establishment of which the gentile organization 
would: be overthrown. The intermediate stages were transitional, remain- 
ing military democracies to the end, except where tyrannies founded upon 
usurpation were temporarily established in their places. The confederacy 
of the Iroquois was essentially democratic, because it was composed of 
gentes each of which was organized upon the common principles of democ- 
racy, not of the highest but of the primitive type; and because the tribes 
reserved the right of local self-government. They conquered other tribes 
and held them in subjection, as for example the Delawares; but the latter 
remained under the government of their own chiefs, and added nothing to 
the strength of the confederacy. It was impossible in this state of society 
to unite tribes under one government who spoke different languages, or to 
hold conquered tribes under tribute with any benefit but the tribute. 
This exposition of the Iroquois confederacy is far from exhaustive of 
the facts, but it has been carried far enough to answer my present object. 
The Iroquois were a vigorous and intelligent people, with a brain approach- 
ing in volume the Aryan average. Eloquent in oratory, vindictive in war, 
and indomitable in perseverance, they have gained a place in history. If 
their military achievements are dreary with the atrocities of savage warfare, 
they have illustrated some of the highest virtues of mankind in ther rela- 
tions with each other. The confederacy which they organized must be 
regarded as a remarkable production of wisdom and sagacity. One of its 
avowed objects was peace—to remove the cause of strife by uniting their 
tribes under one government, and then extending it by incorporating other 
tribes of the same name and lineage. They urged the Eries and the Neu- 
tral Nation to become members of the confederacy, and for their refusal 
expelled them from their borders. Such an insight into the highest objects 
of government is creditable to their intelligence. Their numbers were 
