III. _The Tenure and Functions of the Office of Principal War-chief._
The name of the office held by Montezuma, according to the best accessible information, was simply _Teuctli_, which signifies a _war-chief_. As a member of the council of chiefs he was sometimes called _Tlatoani_, which signifies _speaker_. This office of a general military commander was the highest known to the Aztecs. It was the same office and held by the same tenure as that of principal war-chief in the Iroquois confederacy. It made the person, _ex officio_, a member of the council of chiefs, as may be inferred from the fact that in some of the tribes the principal war-chief had precedence in the council both in debate and in pronouncing his opinion.[223] None of the Spanish writers apply this title to Montezuma or his successors. It was superseded by the inappropriate title of king. _Ixtlilxochitl_, who was of mixed Tezcucan and Spanish descent, describes the head war-chiefs of Mexico, Tezcuco and Tlacopan, by the simple title of war-chief, with another to indicate the tribe. After speaking of the division of powers between the three chiefs when the confederacy was formed, and of the assembling of the chiefs of the three tribes on that occasion, he proceeds: "The king of Tezcuco was saluted by the title of _Aculhua Teuctli_, also by that of _Chichimecatl Teuctli_ which his ancestors had worn, and which was the mark of the empire; _Itzcoatzin_, his uncle, received the title of _Culhua Teuctli_, because he reigned over the Toltecs-Culhuas; and _Totoquihuatzin_ that of _Tecpanuatl Teuctli_, which had been the title of _Azcaputzalco_. Since that time their successors have received the same title."[224] _Izcoatzin (Itzcoatl)_, here mentioned, was war-chief of the Aztecs when the confederacy was formed. As the title was that of war-chief, then held by many other persons, the compliment consisted in connecting with it a tribal designation. In Indian speech the office held by Montezuma was equivalent to head war-chief, and in English to general.
Clavigero recognizes this office in several Nahuatlac tribes, but never applies it to the Aztec war-chief. "The highest rank of nobility in Tlascala, in Huexotzinco and in Cholula was that of _Teuctli_. To obtain this rank it was necessary to be of noble birth, to have given proofs in several battles of the utmost courage, to have arrived at a certain age, and to command great riches for the enormous expenses which were necessary to be supported by the possessor of such a dignity."[225] After Montezuma had been magnified into an absolute potentate, with civil as well as military functions, the nature and powers of the office he held were left in the background--in fact uninvestigated. As their general military commander he possessed the means of winning the popular favor, and of commanding the popular respect. It was a dangerous but necessary office to the tribe and to the confederacy. Throughout human experience, from the Lower Status of barbarism to the present time, it has ever been a dangerous office. Constitutions and laws furnish the present security of civilized nations, so far as they have any. A body of usages and customs grew up, in all probability, among the advanced Indian tribes and among the tribes of the valley of Mexico, regulating the powers and prescribing the duties of this office. There are general reasons warranting the supposition that the Aztec council of chiefs was supreme, not only in civil affairs, but over military affairs, the person and direction of the war-chief included. The Aztec polity under increased numbers and material advancement, had undoubtedly grown complex, and for that reason a knowledge of it would have been the more instructive. Could the exact particulars of their governmental organization be ascertained they would be sufficiently remarkable without embellishment.