EventhoughignoringtheoppositeopinionofGermanwritersonjurisprudence，andevenwithoutananalysiswhichprovestheirownopiniontobeuntenable，Bentham’sdisciplesmighthavebeenledtotreatlesscavalierlythedoctrineofnaturalrights。Forsundrygroupsofsocialphenomenaunitetoprovethatthisdoctrineiswellwarranted，andthedoctrinetheysetagainstitunwarranted。
Tribesinvariouspartsoftheworldshowusthatbeforedefinitegovernmentarises，conductisregulatedbycustoms。TheBechuanasarecontrolledby\"long—acknowledgedcustoms。\"（11*）
AmongtheKorannaHottentots，whoonly\"toleratetheirchiefsratherthanobeythem，\"（12*）\"whenancientusagesarenotintheway，everymanseemstoactasisrightinhisowneyes。\"（13*）
TheAraucaniansareguidedby\"nothingmorethanprimordialusagesortacitconventions。\"（14*）AmongtheKirghizesthejudgmentsoftheeldersarebasedon\"universallyrecognizedcustoms。\"（15*）So，too，oftheDyaks，RajahBrooketellsusthat\"customseemssimplytohavebecomethelaw;andbreakingcustomleadstoafine。\"（16*）Sosacredarememorialcustomswiththeprimitiveman，thatheneverdreamsofquestioningtheirauthority;andwhengovernmentarises，itspowerislimitedbythem。InMadagascartheking’swordsufficesonly\"wherethereisnolaw，custom，orprecedent。\"（17*）RafflestellsusthatinJava\"thecustomsofthecountry\"（18*）restrainthewilloftheruler。
InSumatra，too，thepeopledonotallowtheirchiefsto\"altertheirancientusages。\"（19*）Nay，occasionally，asinAshantee，\"theattempttochangesomecustoms\"hascausedaking’sdethronement。\"（20*）Now，amongthecustomswhichwethusfindtobepre—governmental，andwhichsubordinategovernmentalpowerwhenitisestablished，arethosewhichrecognizecertainindividualrights——rightstoactincertainwaysandpossesscertainthings。Evenwheretherecognitionofpropertyisleastdeveloped，thereisproprietorshipofweapons，tools，andpersonalornaments;and，generally，therecognitiongoesfarbeyondthis。AmongsuchNorth—AmericanIndiansastheSnakes，whoarewithoutgovernment，thereisprivateownershipofhorses。BytheChippewayans，\"whohavenoregulargovernment，\"gametakeninprivatetraps\"isconsideredasprivateproperty。\"（21*）Kindredfactsconcerninghuts，utensils，andotherpersonalbelongings，mightbebroughtinevidencefromaccountsoftheAhts，theComanches，theEsquimaux，andtheBrazilianIndians。Amongvariousuncivilizedpeoples，customhasestablishedtheclaimtothecropgrownonaclearedplotofground，thoughnottothegrounditself;andtheTodas，whoarewhollywithoutpoliticalorganization，makealikedistinctionbetweenownershipofcattleandofland。Kolff’sstatementrespecting\"thepeacefulArafuras\"