Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-03-05
Government Among the Arabs.

The principles of government among
the wandering children of the desert are
based upon ancient custom from time i'm
memorial, and their civil institutions 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 the individuals of
his tribe. The real government of the
BedOuin consists in the separate strength
of their different families, who, by their
own individual weight and influence,
maintain an even balance in the entire
body social of each tribe. If dispute
arises between two individuals the sheik
| eudeavors to settle the matter, but if the
relations of the parties fail, aided by the
sheik's influence, in making peace, then
| commences war between the whole kim
dred 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 encampment
and in entertaining distinguished stran-
gers. He derives no yearly income from
his tribe or camp; on the contrary he is
obliged to support his title by considera-
bic disbursements; he must maintain the
poor, and divide his presents among his
friends. He derives a certain income
from the tribute he eXacts from the Syrian
villages, and his emoluments from the
Mecca pilgrim caravan. When sheik
dies he is succeeded in his dignity by one
of his sons or his brother, or some rela-
ton distinguished for valor and liberality,
but not invariably. Sometimes stranger
to the family may be chosen, and occa-
sionally during the lifetime of the sheik
he may be deposed from his dignity.
There exists in some tribes an official
called the b1dy, or jud ge, who is selected
from men respected for their age, intelli-
gence, and love of justice. They wear no
special dress, and have no written code
OF laws to refer to, but they receive con-
siderable fees and emoluments. A still
higher Judge is the mae6eSshGe, of whom
there is one in every principal tribe for
deciding in cases of great difficulty. The
punishments inflicted are invariably pc
cuniary fines, according to the nature of
the offense, and, as the amount of these is
well known and dreaded, this has a whole
some effect upon the unruly spirits of a
tribe. The laws ofinheritance among the
Arabs are those prescribed by the Koran,
and on a mans death his property is di-
vided among the male children in equal
shares His effects are known to the
whole tribe, and if he leaves children I'M
der age the next relation takes them under
his care.
The law of blood revenge is one terri
BILE popularity which characterizes these
strange children of Nature. In theory it
is that whoever sheds the blood of man
owes blood on that account to the family
of the deceased But not only is blood
claimed from the actual homicide but
from all his relations, and this right is
never lost; it descends on both sides 10
the latest generations. Sometimes the
feud is healed by certain fixed price of
blood being stipulated to be paid to the
nearest relations of the slain person. In
consequence of a single murder it is some
times necessary to remove many hundred
tents, and the fugitives move from one
tribe to another for more than fifty years,
until at length 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
actually killed them. Appeals are some
times made to the ne5esshGe 10 settle by
whom a man may have been killed in bat
tie if the accused denies the charge
The Alps Of -ArG6iG.
THE Red River Star says: "Our towns
man, Mr.. 81. Davidson, started for Fort
Garry this week with a sleigh load OF