Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-06-02


Grim and Destructive War to Peace
Arbitration In Big Anairs.
There is a great deal of carelessness in
certain popular demands for referring
questions between nations to arbitration.
We all know what arbitration is in bust
! ness. It is a very convenient way of ad-
| justing certain questions which arise be
tween two friends, each Of whom wants
to do what is right, but who take differ
ent points Of view of the same subject.
Each Of them chooses a man." as the
| old New England phrase has it. These
| two ''men" choose q third man. All
| parties meet together and talk over the
matter, and the court thus made decides.
But~fOr practical purposes we do not
compel every person who has a question
arising with another person to create a
court which is to try that question. If a
policeman catches a plckpocket in the
street, he does not appoint one person to
try the pickpocket and ask the pickpocket
to appoint another, while these two shall
appoint a third. IF Mr. Cheeryble in
London is not satisfied with the account
which Mr.. Goodchild in Kansas City
sends him, if M. Goodchild cannot make
Mr.. Cheeryble understand that account.
they do not appoint q court which shall
determine how much is due and how
much is not due. There is a court ex-
listing to which that question can be re-
ferred and there are processes perfectly
understood by which that court can de-
eide it.
Sn 60 OF% no
necessity which now exists that the great
nations of the world shall have perna-
pent tribunal, before which shall be
brought the important questions which
must arise in the affairs of nations with
each other. It is to be permanent tri-
bunal. There is not to be one tribunal
about seals and another tribunal about
boundaries and another about e1tradi-
ton. There Is to be tribunal which
shall gradually gain the confidence OF
the whole world, and which shall decide
these questions which have been left
hitherto to a vague public opinion and to
what is called the arbitration of war.
Clearly we are approaching nearer anu
nearer the creation OF such a tribunal.
The greatest success was achieved
when in 1889 13 different nations, here
On the coast of the Atlantic, united to
gether aud established the supreme court
Of the United States. The thing has
worked so perfectly and simply ever
since that we have many readers to
whom it has never occurred that there
were might have been wars between
Massachusetts and New York, or war
between Missouri and Iowa, as bitter
and severe as half the wars of the middle
ages in Europe were. There might have
been such wars if it had not been that |
the supreme court of the United St9tea |
has determined at least hundred ques- |
tons arising between different proud and |
independent states an2 has So deter |
mined them that each Of the states has |
acqniesced in the decision. Nay, it has |
90 determined them that half the citizens |
Of those states did not know that any |
such questions existed. Between my own
state of Massachusetts and the state of |
Rhode Island there was G, question about |
boundaries some 20 or 80 years ago which |
was more important than many Of the
questions which have thrown Europeap
states into war with each other. TIE So
preme court Of the United States deter
mined the question, and do not believe
that half the people now living III Mas
sachusetts who were living then ever
knew that there was any such question
at issue.
The six great powers Of the world are
the powers who should agree on such a
high court Of judicature, to exist as a
permanent tribunal. It would be easy
to arrange some system by which its
judges should be appointed. Perhaps
good system would be soch as is indi-
Gated in the custom which has been
spoken Of above. Each of the six nations
might name one of these judges, and the
nix judges might nominate six other
Judges, to be approved by majority of
he high powers forming the court.
At first the new court would have
nothing to do. Everybody would be shy
If it, but it would exist. It would con
list Of men of the very highest rank who
lad distinguished themselves before the
world by their equity and wisdom. 9
At first the court would meet simply
or its own organization and to await |
he reference to it of questions arising ,
great nations. In this period of {
eisure these jurists might well be en-
aged in digesting the international law
Il the world as it exists now and pub :
lsh1ng from time to time their digest.
they might determine certain principles
n which they would rely in the judg-
nents which should eventually be
ne n