The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-22
LAWYERS DUTY
Now Is the Time to Work For Inter-
national Arbitration.
ADDRESS OF CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW
Replete With Rational and Pa
triotic Sentiments.

opened tho 18th annual SESSION or the
New York State Bar association last night.
President Robertson. after prayer, intro
duced Mr.. Depew, who delivered the an
nual address, taking for his subject. "Pa-
triotism and Jingoism; the Lawyers
Duty" The address follows:
A meeting OF the lawyers Of this great
commonwealth has profounder mean
Ing than suggestions for amendments to
laws or facilities in procedure. BY virtue
Of our official distinction as officers of the
court there deyolves upon US public duties
OF the greatest Importance. The larger
the question and the greater the perils in
volved in It's decision, the more clear is
the mission OF the Bar association to give
to tho subject its attention and TO tho
country the results Of Its calm delibera-
tion.
Never during the II years Of our exist
ence has our meeting been held ut a period
so interesting and ut the same time so
fraught with dangers. Ours is a lawyers
government. II was the agitation by the
patriotic members of the profession which
brought on the Revolutionary War. 1t
was the conservative wisdom of the law
yers which framed the constitution OF the
dents have been lawyers, as were "a of the
81 signers of the Declaration of Independ-
ence, and 80 of the SIS members OF the con-
vention which framed tho constitution OF
tho United States A large majority OF
the members of both houses of congress
and of both houses of the legislatures Of
the several states have always been, and
still are, members of the profession.
Tho checks and safeguards against revo-
lutionary action which distinguish the
institutions of the United States from
those OF oil other democracies are the
fruits of the wisdom and foresight of
great minds trained to the law. There
fore the sentiment contained in Ccero's
famous maxim, ''silent leges inter arma,"
is specially pregnant for the hour. Cicero
was the greatest lawyer of his time. and
of the whole Roman period When
Ciceros throat was cut upon the highway
by the soldiers Of Antony, the body Of
Roman law, which protected life and
property, and judicially decided rights
and remedied wrongs, and which had
been 500 years In slow and laborious con-
struction, was buried with his blood.
From that time until the Dark Ages the
will of tho autocrat Of the hour was tho
law Of tho wcrid. It devastated prov
inoes. 1t depopulated countries. 1t made
deserts OF vast territories. IL consigned to
untimely graves with every form of horror
and suffering untold millions of the
human race. The falling temple Of lib
erty carried down in its ruins civilization,
law, learning, art, humanity and re-
ligion. Centuries passed by, all dedicated
to war, until the church arrested its
savagery for the moment by the truce of
God.
But, for ages yet to come, under the
necessities for protection, induced by per-
petual wars, Europe was divided into mas
ters and slaves-the masters the feudal
lords, and their armed retainers - the
slaves, the tillers of the soil, the artisans
and laborers. The tradition and educa-
tion of tho ages that rights could only be
established and wrongs could only be
redressed by the sword created the Law
OF the Sword. For hundreds of years all
disputes were settled by the gauge of bat
tie.
Bankers Are ArSiters.
Only one power keeps the nations of
Europe from instantly declaring war.
The bankers and business men have be-
como the arbltcrs between nations. In
modern conflicts so vast aud expensive
war that the longest purse wins. The
only two nations which may be said to be
free from this thraldom, because OF their
wealth, their commerce and credit. are the
United States and Great Britain.
The events Of the past few weeks have
demonstrated how easy IL is to arouse the
lighting blood among our own people
The strongest evidence of the fervor and
force OF this sanguinary sentiment among
us today Is the action of congress upon. the
presidents Venezuela message BY the
constitution OF the United States the war
power belongs to congress, and yet the
senate and house OF representatives with
unanimity and hot haste rushed to record
their approval OF what they believed at
the time 10 be a declaration OF war. The
lesson seems to be enforced that n hasty
or passionate president could plunge the
nation into war, aud the reason and justi-
fication for its sacrifices of blood and
treasure and industrial interests would be
left for academic discussion after the strife
was over
There are occasions when war Is both
right and nccessary. aud nation must
embark upon IL without counting the con-
sequences, but the issue OF battle is never
certain, nor does the arbitrament Of war
always end in right and justice. The
struggle between Prussia and Austria for
supremacy In the German empire was de-
cided not by the merits of the case, but
by, the needle gun In the hands OF the
Prussians used against the old-fashloned
musket OF the Austrlans.
Our war Of 1872 was right IL our dispute
with Great Britain and our demand for
fair treatment and justice could not be-
settled by arbitration. 1t Is a curious aud
impressive fact that tho purpose for
which that war was made was not gained
by the war. The casus belli was not con-
sidercd In the treaty OF peace, but was
settled afterward by arbitration. Tho
Civil War might have been avcrted at one
time by payment OF proper indemnity
TO the owners of the slaves.
The republic united and free Is worth all
that Il cost both i'm blood aud treasure,
and much more: and yet, had the south