The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-02-19
Government Among the Arabs.

The principles of government among
the wandering children Of the desert
are based upon ancient custom from
time immemorial, and their civil instl-
tutions are well adapted to their habits
and mode of life. Every Arab tribe
has its chief sheik, and every camp is
headed by its own ,sheik, or principal
man, but he has no actual authority
over tho individuals of his tribe. The
real government of the BedOnin consists
in the separate strength Of their differ
| ent families, who, by their " individ-
ual weight and influence, maintain an
even balance in the entire body social of
each tribe. If a dispute arises between
two individuals, the sheik endcayors to
settle the matter, but, if the relations
| Of the parties fail, aided by the sheik's
influence, in making peace, then com
mences war between the whole kindred
and families of either disputant, The
%prerogative of the sheik consists in
leading his tribe against the enemy, in
conducting negotiations for peace or
war, after consulting with the chief
men of the tribe, in fixing the spot for
contemporaries, and in entertaining dis
tinguished strangers. He derives no
ye rly income from his tribe or camp
on the contrary, he is obliged TO sup.
port his title by considerable disburse-
ments he must maintain the poor, and
divide his presents among his friends.
he derives u certain income from the
tribute he exacts form the Syrian vii
nnno n,,1 np,I1 ~ na,tu Hrl,, fIn lI,ppn
pilgrim-caravap. When a sheik dies,
he is succeeded in his dignity by n of
his sons, or his brother, or some relation
distinguished for valor and liberality,
but not invariably. Sometimes II stran.
ger to the family may be chosen, and
occasionally, during the lifetime Of the
sheik, he may be deposed from his dig
nifty.
There exists in some tribes an official
called the hady, or Judge, who is elected
from men respected for their age, intel
and love of justice. They
10 special dress, and have no
written code of laws to refer TO, but
they receive considerable fees and emol-
nments. A still higher Judge is the
fft'tnoH'', vi "llOlu tutlO ~ olt ~
every principal tribe, for deciding in
cases of great difficulty. The punish
ments inflicted are invariably %pecuniary
fines, according to the nature Of the
o%ifense, and, as the amount Of these is
well KIN wn and dreaded, this has n
wholesome effect upon the unruly spir-
it's of n tribe. The laws of inheritance
among the Arabs are those prescribed
by the Koran, and on u mans death,
his property is divided among the male
children in equal shares. His effects
are known to the whole tribe, and, if
ho leaves children under age, the
next relation takes them under his care.
The law Of blood-reyenge is one ter
rible peculiarly which charactcrizes
these strange children of nature. In
it is that whoever sheds the
blood Of u man, owes blood on that ac-
COUNT ~ tlIU family Of the deceased.
But not only is blood claimed from the
actual homicide, but from all his rcla.
and this right is never lost; it de-
sends on both sides to the latest gen
Sometimes the feud is healed
by n certain fixed price of blood being
stipulated to be paid to the nearest re-
lations of the slain persons. In consc-
quense Of n single murder, it is some
times necessary to remove several hun
dred tents, and the fngitives move from
II tribe to another for more than fifty
years, until at length a compromise is
made. For those slain in wars between
two tribes, the price of blood is required
from the persons who were known to
have killed them. Appeals are some
times made to the mc6csshac, to settle
by whom a man may have been killed
in batt'e if the accused denies the
charge.-"Ihc Alps Of Iyabio," hy
W. q. M0ugh0n.