Progress of Government

In the beginning of human history, with needs and wants limited to food and shelter, man's dominating impulse was the preservation of life. His social instinct led to the establishment of families, groups, and tribes. Transmitting habits, traditions, customs, and superstitions to succeeding generations, there came to be formed definite and distinctive racial types with fixed governing principles. Governments of a kind were set up, order was created, but with the accumulation of property, and increasing wants, conflicts occurred, the strong despoiling the weak. Alliances for defense and offense were formed. Agreements between rulers and subjects and forms of treaties with nations brought about a more or less defined code of conduct and law, invariably enforced to the benefit of those who held the power. Government by autocracy. - Selfish and often cruel leaders preyed upon the weak and ignorant in the accomplishment of their ambitious designs. Autocracy held power through appeal to the emotions engendered by pomp and glitter of the court, or by fear created through control of military forces and the means of livelihood. By various methods the rights of citizenship were confined to the prescribed limits dictated by "will" (force) until increasing intelligence within the ranks of the people began to exert a counteracting influence. The historical development of the "ancient liberties" of the English people, establishing individual rights, began with the meeting of King John and the Barons on the field of Runnymede in 1215 A. D., where the Magna Charta was signed, which guaranteed rights beyond the power of the king to take away. By successive steps, in protection of these rights, came the act of Parliament (1295), Petition of Rights (1628), habeas corpus act (1679), Bill of Bights (1689), and the act of settlement (1701). These liberties did not originate with charters, but were simply confirmed by them and made the "fixed principles of freedom." Restrictions of government on the life of the people created caste, favoritism and taxation became oppressive, and men left Europe and came to America. Government of laws. - Until the adoption of the Constitution, government was imposed by the will of the minority and enforced by absolute control of economic institutions and military forces. Under the Constitution a "Government of laws and not of men" was formulated out of the experiences of the centuries in which feudalism, despotism, autocracy had given form to the ruling forces of governme