Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/22

 10 GOVERNMENT. power and authority as would render him despotic, and, in process of time, the body of the people would be reduced to be the mere slaves of his will. These abstract reflections on the progress of so- ciety and government are naturally obtruded upon our attention by those practical illustrations which our obseiTation oftlie manners of the Indian island- ers is constantly presenting. Among the least improved of the civilized tribes, the petty lords or tyrants of villages, or little dis- tricts, have, for offence or defence, found it conve- nientto associate, and to elect fromamongtheir num- ber an individual to preside over their councils. This may be deemed the second great step in the progress of government towards despotism. We have examples of it in all the governments of Cele- bes, of the Suluk Archipelago, and less perfect ves- tiges in those of Sumatra. In some of these aristo- cratic federations, the Presidency s, elective from the body of the electors, but more generally from a par- ticular family. Such a form of government, I ima- gine, in an earlier period of society, was very general among the civilized tribes, but the same advantages which enabled the village chief to usurp over his fellows, would enable the elective president of a confederacy to do the same thing over the federal chiefs. The office determined to a privileged fa- mily would soon become hereditary, and necessarily despotic. Such a change has actually taken place