The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-22 00:00:00

SUPERIORITY OF ARBITRATION OTER WAR.

V% ar pays no regard to the meritsiof a case. Its rule
is might, not right. But arbitration does consider
those merits. Again ; the stronger party being more
likely than the weaker to be the aggressor, a re-
sort to war in the case renders it probable that
the injured party will receive additional injury,
instead of obtaining redress ; whereas, by arbitration,
that party would in all probability obtain redress.
In cases where two parties are nearly equal in strength,
by resorting to war, they generally leave off where they
begin, nothing being decided, and both parties being
sadly injured. Arbitration in such cases, also, would
answer a better purpose in both respects. And in
cases where the stronger party is the injured one, al-
though by a resort to war, redress is generally obtained,
how hard the way of obtaining it ! Arbitration-
would afford it in an easier way. In every case,
then, the ends of justice are better subservad by arbi-
tration than by war, and all the evils of war are pre-
vented besides. Furthermore ; war is an infringement
of the independence of nations. Surely it is such an
infringement, for one nation to dictate to another,
and to attempt to enforce its dictation, as is always
done by ono of the parties in war. But arbitration
respects national sovereignty. Here is no dictation,
no coercion, nothing but friendly counsel. Once
more ; by resorting to war, nations violate one of the
plainest dictates of reason, viz , that parties should
not be judges in their own cases, which they always
assume to be in war. Arbitration respects this
dictate, by providing a disinterested party as a
judge. Then again : the custom of war affords the
strong an opportunity to oppress the weak, and the am-
bitious to pursue their schemes of conquest and aggran-
dizement. Arbitration is a check to oppression and
ambition, and the best security of the defenceless.
And again ; the custom of war, by which nations take
their position on what they denominate the point of
honour, refusing to make the proper concessions and
overtures for the preservation of peace, and sacrificing
justice itself to resentment and pride is one vast sys-
tem of duelling. The principle of international arbi-
tration is the principle of order and peace on a scale
of equal magnitude. In short, every reason that can
be urged in favour of the peaceful adjustment
of individual disputes, and against a resort to
individual violence, can be urged with as much greater
force in favour of international arbitration, and against
war, as the evils of war 'exceed in every respect the
evils resulting from individual combat. Now, then, if
the ends of justice itself can be better subserved by
adtiixol of
is. the American Prize
arbitration than by' war, and so much evil prevented,
and so much good done, what plea remains for war ?
EssaysExtractedonj: Congress
omthe
Aofpp Nations.

Two men, named Reuben and Durant Cope,
were last week fined 505. 6d., at Birmingham, at the in-
stance of the Animals' Friend Society, of Mark-lane,
by Messrs. Bielby and Bird, for having smeared a dog
over with oil of turpentine, and set it alighbt ; the poor
animal was not expected to survive. They were com-
mitted to prison. for 14 days in default of payment.
COMMON SENSE ABROAD.--The Commer-
cial Gazette of St. Petersburgh contains an article, writ-
ten by Consul Harrer, of Warsaw, who seeks to show
that those states of Europe, which are desirous of esta-
blishing their manufacturing prosperity, have every rea-
son to wish that no alteration may take place in the
English Corn-laws.