The Friinltice Democyacy of tlie Germans. 29 



formation in our possession, it was a sdcial rather than a 

 political aristocracy. There are serfs, but we are absolutely 

 without information as to their origin or their relative num- 

 bers — whether they are Germans, who have sunk from a 

 condition of freedom, or the remnants of a conquered race; 

 whether they are few or many. We cannot, of course, ex- 

 pect to find organized government of the modern type, or 

 any precise definition of powers; but so far as we are war- 

 ranted in any positive conclusion upon the subject, we may 

 say that the sovereign power was in the hands of the whole 

 people, acting collectively, meeting in a general assembly at 

 stated intervals. (Tac. Germ. 11-13.) The people, in their 

 family orga.nizations, also compose the army; * from a 

 comparison of Tacitus with Csesar,! an earlier writer, we 

 have a right to infer that these same family organizations 

 live in common occupation of independent districts of land. 

 There are magistrates, holding their office it would seem for 

 life, elected by the people in their national assembly, and 

 acting as a board of administration in the intervals between 

 the meetings of assembly,]: but also having each his own 

 district where he presides over the adminstration of justice. || 

 From other authorities we know that in this district admin- 

 istration of justice the magistrates only preside; the verdict 

 is rendered by the people of the district in an assembly of 

 the district. 



This is a thoroughly republican constitution of society, and 

 this sketch, which rests in every detail upon positive state- 

 ments of Tacitus, supplemented in only two instances by 

 evidence from other but equally unimpeachable authority, 

 justifies us in the statement that the political institutions of 



*Non casus nee fortuita conglobatio hirmam aid cnneum facit, sed 

 familiae et propinquitates. (Tac. Germ. 7.) 



f Magistratus ac principes in annos singulos gentibus cognationibnsqne 

 hominum quantum et quo loco visum est agri attribuunt. B. G. vi. 23. 



XDe minor ibus rebus principes consultant, de majoribus omnes, Tac. 

 Gevm. 11. 



^Princi2}es qui jura X)er pagos vicosque reddunt. id. 12. — Principes 

 regionnm atque ptagorum inter sues Jus dicunt controversiasque minuunt, 

 C«s. B. G. vi. 23. 



