Every beginning is crude and awkward. Rules adopted to govern a family circle, jar and chafe when introduced to govern larger bodies of individuals. What may seem good for a household government would hardly be suitable for a community, and the rules regulating the general community would hardly be available for a people or a nation.
Modifications in the rule of conduct are inevitable as families or communities increase numerically. They may be slow, imperceptible, and cause little disturbance. But sudden and radical changes produce quite another effect. They may cause simple irritation or friction among the elements composing the family or community, may cause temporary embarrassment, or may cause an eruption with considerable commotion, and accompanied with more or less serious effects.
Change in the methods of conducting and regulating the affairs of mankind, individually or collectively, in small family groups or in large communities, has ever been a matter, not only of great interest and deep concern to mankind, but also of bitter dispute, conflict, and hostility.
It has ever been thus, from the time intelligence superseded instinct, with attempts to introduce innovations, new or improved methods regulating the conduct of either individuals or communities, or the general affairs of man. Individual must yield to family, family to community, community to people, and people to nation.
Rules once established, no matter how rude, vulgar, or barbarous, or how enlightened and beneficial, were adopted to secure a general uniformity of conduct or line of action for each individual or family belonging to the community or people, for what was considered the best interest of the whole, and their mutual benefit and safety.
The most primitive rules were instinctively adopted in the lower order of animal life, the laws of self-preservation and mutual protection.
The individual conduct, in either family or community life, is governed accordingly. That is very evident, and requires but little observation to find the secret spring that explains the necessity for its existence.
If a community, whether animals or men, are favorably located, have ample provision and comfort, they will live in peace and contentment, thrive, develop, without friction or trouble. Let a lack of food arise, or let the numbers increase and produce a scarcity, strife is inevitable. New, other than peaceful, methods are adopted. Either they quarrel and battle among themselves, or they go in search of food elsewhere—emigrate, in part or as a whole. If they meet with opposition, they will fight—the strongest takes possession, might asserts its right, and the conquerer becomes the ruling power.
In the early stages of human civilization, thousands of years ago, the simplest primitive rules were established for the conduct and guidance of the individual living in the community—for, of course, mutual protection and self-preservation. Humanity in a barbarous state adopted these rules, and handed them down from generation to generation until at length they were codified into laws. What are they?
Honor thy parents.