Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-05-06
Gtstorttal.

SECOND LETTER.-GovERNMENT.

Africa.
SECOND LETTER.-GovERNMENT
nv Dear Young Friends You have read in
your Bibles about Abraham and Lot and other
great men who lived in those times. You re-
member that Abraham and Lot lived together
and that they had many people about them
They all constituted one great family of which
Abraham was the head. When Lot separated
from Abraham, he became the head of his own
family and was no longer subject to Abraham
This kind of government is called 'Patriarchal.'
This is very nearly the kind of government that
exists here. The chiefs, for the most part, are
representatives of large families The right of
being chief for any family is hereditary and be-
longs to the Oldest son. His authority extends
over the family and over those who settle with it,
and usually over the tract of country on which
they live, though it not unfrequently happens
that there are some towns in the very midst of it
over which he has no control, The other men,
bers of the family can have their towns and are
head-men as they are called, but are subordinate
to the elder one From their decision an APP
peal can be made to him from him there is no
appeal.
The manner of conducting courts is simple
and rude, but find in them much more OF JUS
tice than ! expected
All small matters are settled by the head-men
Of the towns, but large matters 90 at once to the
chief When a man feels himself injured by an
other, he takes with him a little tobacco or
country cloth or anything else he may have, and
goes to the head-man Of the town to which the
offender belongs and presents it to him and tells
his matter This is what is called ShOua0ing
the paluocr' TO show palaver there must be
+ - l. l,,t Lon f,Ofta lDo 1f1p
cu-lah nut. The head-man hears both parties,
and their witnesses if they have any, and then
decides the case, giving one right and the
other wrong Then the one to whom right
is given, demands satisfaction from him to whom
wrong is given. What the amount shall be is
sometimes decided by the parties themselves, but
generally by the head-man. If the man to whom
wrong is given is given is dissatisfied, ne can
appeal to the chief
When palaver is carried to the Chief it is done in
more formal way.-Everything is done through third
person, who may well be called the clerk of the court.
In small matters witnesses are never sworn; but in
large matters where there is much contradiction be-
tween the Witnesses greegree man is called and they
are made to swear by the greegree. Their belief is,
that what he thus speaks is not true, he will die with
in certain time When chief is about to settle
large palvet, he must have a present to "open his
mouth" and when he has done he must have another
let him off his seat" This is the way he gets his
fee The first has to be given by both parties, the last
by him to whom right is given. 1t frequently happens
that when paaver about to be settled that each par
ty lays down an equal amount of money before the
chief with the mutual agreement that the one to whom
~ II II
ly called betting
The chief never judges a matter alone There are
always old people and sometimes other members
of the family who sit near him. When all the wit
nesses on both sides heard to do which often re-
qures great deal of time and patience, the chief and
the old people retire to private place and hold
what they call council" In this council it is deci-
ed who is right and who is wrong. After the council
have decided the CASE they return to the court and the
chief makes Speech in which he rehearses the mat
ter from beginning to end. He closes by giving the
money staked before him to the person to whom right
is given Thiss signal for his party to express their
10y by the firing Of guns, &c.
1t sometimes happens that the chief is unable to
right" to either sde in which case he gives the
ey sakeG to its respective owners and tries to make
peace between them.
There are some excellent orators among the chiefs.
In pleading a case they almost invariably go back and
relate all the precedent and similar cases that have
come within their knowledge. This consider by no
means an unwise PLAN In all large towns is what is
Barry" or paaver house, in which all courts are
held and palavers settled
All matters pertaining to the whole country are
settled by the king g. chiefs in council but in the name
of the king.
When any ont has palaver with chief it has to be
settled by other chiefs, among whom the king sits as
| Judge.
There is one thing which think should be partcu-
arly noticed and that u.s. that in all their decisions,
from the least to the greatest the "odpeople as they
are called, are consulted.
There is one thing which perhaps should not be
omitted here and that is that the majority Of the peo
nle are slaves The slaves however, have some rights
They can carry freeman to law. lftreated badly oy
their masters they appeal to the chief for rearess
Thsy work for their masters but part OF the year.
They work farms for themselves as we'll as their mas