Their experience, probably, was but a repetition of that of the tribes of Asia, Europe, and Africa when they were in corresponding conditions.
From the preceding observations it is apparent that an American Indian tribe is a very simple as well as humble organization. It required but a few hundred, and, at most, a few thousand people to form a tribe and place it in a respectable position in the Ganowánian family.
It remains to present the functions and attributes of an Indian tribe, which are contained in the following propositions:
| I. | The possession of a territory and a name. |
| II. | The exclusive possession of a dialect. |
| III. | The right to invest sachems and chiefs elected by the gentes. |
| IV. | The right to depose these sachems and chiefs. |
| V. | The possession of a religious faith and worship. |
| VI. | A supreme government consisting of a council of chiefs. |
| VII. | A head-chief of the tribe in some instances. |
For a discussion of these characteristics of a tribe, reference is made to Ancient Society, pp. 113-118.
The growth of the idea of government commenced with the organization into gentes in savagery. It reveals three great stages of progressive development between its commencement and the institution of political society after civilization had been attained. The first stage was the government of a tribe by a council of chiefs elected by the gentes. It may be called a government of one power; namely, the council. It prevailed generally among tribes in the Lower Status of barbarism. The second stage was a government co-ordinated between a council of chiefs and a general military commander, one representing the civil and the other the military functions. This second form began to manifest itself in the Lower Status of barbarism after confederacies were formed, and it became definite in the Middle Status. The office of general, or principal military commander, was the germ of that of a chief executive magistrate, the king, the emperor, and the president. It may be called a government of two powers, namely, the council of chiefs and the general. The third stage was the government of a people or nation by a council of chiefs, an assembly of the people, and a general military commander. It appeared among the tribes who had attained
