The Grange advance., 1873-11-26

Two Important International Con-
ferenCes.


EARLY last spring the subject of holding
an unofficial International Conference for
the reform and codifcation of the laws of
nations was agitated by the leading pub
licists of the civilized nations. This re-
suited in such conference being held at
Ghent in the month of September last,
when permanent Institute Of Internation-
al Law was founded. the number Of men,
bers to be limited to fifty. thirty. eight Of
whom are already chosen: and of these
FIVE are Americans. The first meeting is
to be held at Geneva, August, 1874. Three
subjects have been selected for considera-
ton on that occasion: lst, Arbitration.
I'd, The three rules Of the Treaty Of Wash
ington. 3rd, Codifcation, by means Of
treaties. Of the fundamental rules of private
International Law. There was also COM
mittee of eight appointed to attend the In
ternational Convention held ut Brussels,
commencing October 10th. This latter
conference had its origin in a meeting held
in New York, May 10Th, 1873, at which a
resolution was passed that meeting should
be called for consultation upon the best
method Of preparing on international code,
and the most promising means Of procuring
its adoption.
Among the more important resolutions
adopted by the Brussels Conference were
these:
That an international code, defining with
all possible precision the rights and duties
of nations and individuals, is eminently de-
sirable in the interests of peace, good re-
lations, and common prosperity; conse-
quently this Conference is Of the opinion
that nothing must be neglected to arrive
at the preparation and adoption Of such
code.
This Conference declares that it regards
arbitration as means essentially just and
reasonable, and even obligatory on nations
of terminating international differences
which cannot be. settled by negotiation. 1t
abstains from affirming that in all cases,
without exception, this method of solution
is applicable, but it believes that the ex-
ceptious are rare. and it is convinced that
no difference ought to he considered insolu-
BILE until after a clear statement Of CON-
plant and delay, and the exhaustion Of
all pacific methods of Recommendation.
But little attention has been called to
these conferences by the press of the coun-
try, and there has seemed to lie general
skepticism in reference to any beneficial
results, nevertheless we regard them IS
the commencement Of one Of the grandest
movements Of this or any other age. The
object aimed at is nothing less than the
abolition Of war, and the establishment Of
arbitration as q means of settling all con-
troversies between nations. In other
words, instead of settling disputes and
differences between the powers by fire and
sword, and all the enginery Of death and
destruction, they propose TO do it by rea-
son and common sense. They propose to
use brains instead of gunpowder. OF
course anything 80 reasonable and just as
this will meet with opposition and ridicule,
and scorn, but we trust that the yeomanry
Of our country will take deep and abid-
ing interest in this matter, and will at once
throw their whole influence in favor of this
grand forward movement in the march of
civilization and christianity.