The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23
FOR HUMANITY,s GOOD.

The address of Lord Russell, Chief JUS
tice of England, before the American Bar
Association at Saratoga Springs will no
doubt cause the nations to take long
step in the directlo of providing ways
and means for adludicating disputes and
disagreements between themselves by ar
bitratioH. The distinguished iurist SO inn
pressed those who heard him and those
who have read his address with the i'm
portance of providing for arbitration in
all treaties between nations that only good
must come OF it, the more so because the
suggestion comes from the judicial head
of not only one of the strongest military
nations, but of a nation that is always
equipped for war.
Lord Russell made a pronounced de-
parture from the beaten path when ne de-
clared that the standard of right and jus
tice between nations should be ethical. The
doctrine that might makes right the
Chief Justice renounces and proclaims the
gospel of peace, and that he voices the SEN
timent of the people of his own country
there is no reason to doubt. But it is as
he said. There might arise complications
which would justify war more than peace.
No nation could afford to accept peace at
the cost of It's honor. A nation might
have an unrig ghteous cause thrust upon it
and then war for the right would be far
obler than to accept the wrong for the
sake of peace:
War is honorable
In those who do their native rights maintain
In those whose swords an iron barrier are,
Between the lawless spoiier and the weak;
But is, in those who draw the offensive blade
For added power or gain, sordid and despicable.
There is unmistakable significance in
this coming together of many of the lead
ing jurists and lawyers of the two English
speaking nations to declare to the world
that the highest duty of nation, next to
giving ample protection to its own people
IN the enjoyment of their rights, is to
avoid as far as possible complications
with other nations that would necessitate
war. Were these two Engiish-speaking
nations numerically weak in population
or poor in purse, their demand for peace
full arbitration instead of war in adjusting
differences between nations would be re-
ceived with little consideration by the
other members of the family of nations,
but together the United States and the
OH1tco may bo odtu W COutIOA
the wealth, the commerce and the indus
tries of the world; besides their people are,
generally speaking, far ahead of the other
peoples of the world in inventive genius,
in learning, in science, in art and in the
elevating influences of home life.
The English speaking people of the
world are quicker than any other to resist
advances upon their personal liberty.
They set the pace, indeed, for humanity
everywhere to higher and truer conditions
of national and individual freedom. They
lead in civilizations advance upon lines
of human brotherhood and in those ways
of peace which spring from sincere devo-
ton to the principles of right, justice and
personal liberty. Hence the influence of
the Saratoga Springs meeting for good
must reach far and wide, and the seed of
peace and prosperity for all humanity
there planted cannot help bearing fruit
that will ultimately gladden. the heart of
kind.