The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-18


Let us look first at the four chapters
which depict the ascent Of the Iroquois
gems from savagery to a certain stage of
barbarism, from which, in all likelihood,
hut for the coming OF Europeans they
would rave advanced considerably higher.
The Iroquois had carried their scheme Of
government from the gems, a body of con-
sanguineals having a common gentle
name. through the phratry, an assemblage
or brotherhood of related gentes, united in
a wider association for certain common
objects: then through the tribe, an assem-
hlage Of gentes usually but not always
organized in intermediate phratries, all
the members of each of which spoke the
same dialect, to, lastly, a confederacy OF
tribes, the members Of which respectively
spoke dialects Of the same stock language.
The outcome of this process OF social or
ganization was a gentle society, or %societds.
a. distinguished from a political society
or State, ciUtds. The difference between
the two il wide and fundamental. DIR.
Morgan has long been the principal cham
pion Of the averment that there was neither
a political society nor a citizen nor a State
nor any civilization in America when il
was discovered. An entire clinical period
intervenes between the status Of the high
est American Indian tribe and the beginning
Of civilization. as that term liz properly
understood. That is TO say, Prescott's
accounts of the Aztecs and lncas, whom
the Spanish conquerors founu in Mexico
and Peru respectively. are built on an as
sumption essentially wrong.
DR.. Morgan insists that when the Iroquois
we're discovered they were in the lower
status OF barbsrism. though we'll advanced
in the arts Of life pertaining to that stage Of
human progress They manufactured nets.
Irvine and rope from flaments of bark,
wove belts and burden straps with warp
and wool from this same material; they
manufactured earthen vessels and pipes
from clay mixed with silicious substances
and hardened by fire. some of which were
ornamented with rude medallions; they
cultivated maize. beans, squashes and to-
bacco in garden beds. and made unleav-
med bread from pounded maize. which
they boiled in earthen vessels; they tanned
skins into leather, with which they manu-
featured kits. leggings and moccasins;
they employed the bow and arrow and war
club az their principal weapons; used flint,
stone and bone implements; wore skin gar
ments and were expert hunters and fisher
men. They constructed long joint tene-
ment houses large enough TO accommodate
five. ten and even twenty families. and each
household practised communism In living.
The Iroquois were unacquaInted, however.
with the use Of stone or adobe brick in
house building and with the use OF the
native metals. In mental capacity and in
general Advancement they were the repre-
sentative branch of the indian family In
habiting the region north OF New Mexico.
Their military history has been sketched
by Gen. +. A. Walker in two sentences:
-The career Of the Iroquois was simply
terrific. They we're the Scourge OF God
upon the sborigines Of the C ointment"
In successive chapters DIR. Morgan pro-
ceeds 10 describe the characteristics. first
NJ the Iroquois social unit, the gems; next
OF tho phratry; third Of the tribe, and lastly
Of the ~confederacy. He shows that all the
members Of an IroquoIs gems were per-
sonallv free and hound TO defend each 9th
er's freedom; they were equal in privileges
and in personal rights. the sachem spd
chiefs claiming no superiority. and they
were a brotherhood. bound together by
the ties Of kinship. In a word, liberty,
equality and fraternity. though never dis
tinctly formulated, we're cardinal principles
OF the Iroquois gems. The fncts need to be
horne in mind. because the gems was the
unit Of a social and governmental system,
the foundation upon which Iroquois society
was organized. A structure composed Of
units OF the kind would OF necessity bear
the impress Of their character. for as the
unit is ~ is the compound. Such a struct-
ure when understood will serve to explain
the sense Of independence and personal
dignity which was universally an attribute
Of the lroquois character.
~.
There seems 10 he no doubt that at the
epoch Of their discovery by Europeans