COMPOUND POLITICAL HEADS. 379 



operation became needful, the heads of the clans included in 

 its several divisions came to have substantially equal powers. 

 The original senate was the collective body of clan-elders; 

 and &quot; this assembly of elders was the ultimate holder of the 

 ruling power :&quot; it was &quot; an assembly of kings.&quot; At 



the same time, the heads of families in each clan, forming 

 the body of burgesses, stood, for like reasons, on equal 

 footing. Primarily for command in war, there was an elected 

 Lead, who was also chief magistrate. Though not having the 

 authority given by alleged divine descent, he had the autho 

 rity given by supposed divine approval ; and, himself bearing 

 the insignia of a god, he retained till death the absoluteness 

 appropriate to one. But besides the fact that the choice, 

 originally made by the senate, had to be again practically 

 made by it in case of sudden vacancy ; and besides the fact 

 that each king, nominated by his predecessor, had to be ap 

 proved by the assembled burgesses ; there is the fact that the 

 king s power was executive only. The assembly of burgesses 

 &quot; was in law superior to, rather than co-ordinate with, the 

 king.&quot; Further, in the last resort was exercised the supreme 

 power of the senate ; which was the guardian of the law 

 and could veto the joint decision of king and burgesses. Thus 

 the constitution was in essence an oligarchy of heads of clans, 

 included in an oligarchy of heads of houses a compound 

 oligarchy which became unqualified when kingship was sup 

 pressed. And here should be emphasized the truth, 

 sufficiently obvious and yet continually ignored, that the 

 Eoman Republic which remained when the regal power ended, 

 differed utterly in nature from those popular governments 

 with which it has been commonly classed. The heads of 

 clans, of whom the narrower governing body was formed, as 

 well as the heads of families who formed the wider governing 

 body, were, indeed, jealous of one another s powers ; and in 

 so far simulated the citizens of a free state who individually 

 maintain their equal rights. But these heads severally 

 exercised unlimited powers over the members of their house- 



