The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-07-11
International Arbitration.

SASAAS~~
The British House of Commons proposes
TO the nations of the world that q tribunal
shall be established to arbitrate between DID.
lions. No wonder that MIR. GLADSTONE OPP
ro3ed the proposition He is a practical man,
and knows that for the want Of the power
20 enforce the DEGREES OF the tribunal ii
would soon fall into contempt even If not
treated with contumely from the beginning.
We have had Gu this continent fine Illus
tration of the advantages of one nations
promising to treat another as an equal and
to submit to an arbitrator all questions that
might arise between them. The thirteen
colonies were tree and independent soyei
reiguties.-n nations, that is--When they had
succeeded in throwing of the yoke of Great
Britain. They forthwith formed league
under articles of confederation which left
tllem free to do as they pleased. This
league soon yielded to "morc per-
feet union" A constitution was framed.
That is to say, these nations agreed to do by
and for each othera good part, and solemnly
set their seals OF appreciation to the covenant.
Amongst other things, they agreed.to ap-
point arbitrators to decide all questions which
might arise between them. The arbitrators
were to be styled "the Supreme Court Of the
United States" Time passed. These arbi-
traitors were called upon to decide whether
Virginia had right to her slaves, and
whether Congress had right to exclude her
citizens from the common territory of the
Union. They decided both questions in favor
of Virginia land her southern sisters).. What
was the result2 Why, the arbitrators were
displaced because they had not decided as the
stronger States wished them to decide, and
new arbitrator were put into their places,
who reversed their decisions. And these
stronger States went to war and took away
from the weaker ones not only four thousand
millions OF dollars worth of property, but all
OF their rights Of every sort. They stripped
them, beat them, robbed them, and then
compelled them to live under new agree
ment which the conquerors wrote out and
forced them to sign. g.,l. 90
So it wosld be the world over if inter-
national arbitrator were appointed. Let
the tribunal decide all questions as the more
powerful States would have it decide thems
and all would be we'll. But let it once dis
please Great Britain, Russia, Germany, and
the United States, and the arbitratoFs would
be treated with contempt. Our northern
brethren swore to support a constitution
which promised TO protect, and provided for
the protection Of, slave property; yet their
oath was by, them considered DO more bind
ing than dicers' oaths. They deliberately
took away the very property they had in the
most solemn manner bound themselves to
motect, and "yeriIy thought they were
doing God service" These same brethren
of ours would treat the other nations of the
world as they have treated'tis. They would
bind themselves to arbitate all questions
that might arise between them and other
nations, but would pay no more respect to
their solemn engagements when the deci-
sions of the arbitrators might not please
them than they did to the decisions Of. tie
tribunal appointed to arbitrate between
them and the Stree and Independent colo
mics" OF Virginia, Georgia, &c. We do not
know, that any other country could be relied
upon 10 do better than this but if motif
we shall be told that all powerful govern
ments are hcartless, graspipg, aud peradi-
ous-then we reply that an International
tribunal of arbitration would necessarily
prove to be worse than u farce-h would
promote the strife which twas established
to put an end to. 49, .5s ts5. s5s 8 I'll ~ >