Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 3.djvu/34

 ^2 GOVERNMENT. must have passed successively through all the other four modes of government adverted to in tracing the history of the forms of political association. An examination of the languages of the people throw a few lights on this interesting subject. * The genuine native term for king in Javanese is Ratu, (which is the same word that is written Dalu in some other languages. Its literal meaning is grandfather, and by a slight inflection a senior or elder, from which last is taken its figurative mean- ment in South America, for such were those of the Zac of Bogota, the ancient Oundiniamarca ; and of thclnca of Peru, two extensive empires, in which despotism was conctaied under the appearance of a gentle and patriarchal government. But in Mexico, small colonies, wearied of tyranny, gave themselves republican constitutions. Now, it is only after long popular struggles that these free constitutions can be formed. The existence of republics does not indicate a very recent civilization." — Humboldt's Neiv Spain, Book II. chap. 6. — I consider that the argument of this great travel- ler in favour of the civilization of the Mexican tribes, de- duced from the republican form of their government, is •wholly unfounded. I have no doubt, indeed, but the Mexi- can republics were just such institutions as the aristocratic federal associations which 1 have described. In almost every particular connected with the progress of manners and so- ciety, the Indian islanders and Americans are more like each other than cither is to any other race of men, notwithstand- ing that no rational ground exists for imagining that the least intercourse ever existed between them.
 * " AVe have examples of the theocratical forms of govern-