502 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s., i, 1899
assistance which men render to one another in misfortune. In early civilization this took concrete form by the establishment of charitable agencies, by the institution of laws for their main- tenance and support, either by social bodies corporate or by governmental bodies corporate. In that stage of society in which church and state are still under one head, while the fusion resulted in the temporary overflow of liberty it performed a royal deed for mankind by enlarging the concepts of charity.
The fifth principle of charity is the recognition that justice does not require punishment, but only remedy for the past and prevention for the future, and that man may not mete out ven- geance. This is the crowning element of charity. The elements of charity may be stated as (1) care for the young, (2) assistance to companions, (3) provision for the aged, (4) help to the unfor- tunate, and (5) mercy to the criminals. We have now developed the concepts of justice and have designated them as peace, equity, equality, liberty, and charity.
The Departments of Government
The departments of government may be classified as constitu- tive, legislative, operative, executive, and judicative.
Constitutive Department. — A modern government may have a written constitution which sets forth the plan of government. Other nations have an habitual system of practice, modified from time to time as circumstances seem to demand, which is observed as the common law of the government ; but I wish to use the term constitutive government as one of its departments coor- dinate with the others which I will set forth. I desire a term which will signify the manner in which the officers of the govern- ment in all its departments are selected, chosen, or appointed.
In many governments the officers are such by hereditary suc- cession. In other governments, as in the United States, the officers are largely elected, though provision is made for appoint- ment, even of certain important officers, while a large number of
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