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Charles I was charged in the indictment before the High Court of Justice, at the trial before his execution, with entertaining "a wicked design to erect and uphold in himself an unlimited and tyrannical power to rule according to his will." To this end he had "traitorously and maliciously levied war against the present parliament." It is usual to scoff at this. How could a king commit treason? Indeed he could not. Yet if he had set out to make himself a tyrant this was a grave offense which, though unknown to English law courts, had often been accounted in political theory as deserving death. The issue of treason is therefore without importance: however bad in law, there was certainly no lesser charge on which to bring a king to execution. The important question concerns tyranny.

Societies controlled by custom or social structure are far older than societies governed by law. These customary or primad societies have methods of control, though different from those of political societies. The primad society is essentially small and democratic. Can the democratic institutions of primad societies be maintained with political societies? Law is a recent social development centering around the origin of kings. The function of law is to maintain inequality. In primad societies where there is general equality, law is inoperative. In political societies law is enforced through courts and organized force, but in primad societies the culture is maintained and conformity produced by mutual reciprocity, emotional involvement, and a uniform PO created through discussion. A further source of unity and stability is kinship and its obligations. The discussion group or council is a feature of all primad societies, but different for nomadic and settled peoples. The nomads use an ad hoc council system to attain unanimity while the settled peoples maintain a more permanent arrangement. Can this democratic council or discussion system of securing uniformity be maintained within the framework of an European administration? Where the council's powers are restricted, it soon ceases to function. J. E. Hughes.