The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1896-09-02
Continued from LIST Page

mum, but they are doing honest and
useful work in making straighter
and less difficult the path Of intelli.
gent progress.
Speaking in this place need only
refer, in passing, to the remarkable
Pan-Amercan Congress, held in
your States in 1890, at the instance
OF the late Mr. Blaine, directed to
the same peaceful object.
1T is OBVIOUS, THEREFORE,,
that the sentiment for peace, and in
favor Of arbitration as an alternative
for war, is growing apace. How has
that sentiment told on the direct
action of nations7 How far have
they shaped their policy according
to its methods? The answer to these
questions are so peaceful and en-
couraging. Experience has shown
that over large area, international
differences may honorably, practical.
ly and usefully be dealt with by
peaceful arbitrament. There have
been since 1916 some sixty instances
Of effective international arbitration.
Thirty-two of these the United
States has been party to and Great
Britain to some twenty OF them.
There are many instances also of
the introduction OF arbitration into
treaties. Here again the United
States appears in the van, but are
we therefore to conclude that the
millennium Of peace has arrived
that the dove has returned to the
ark, sure sign that the waters Of in
ternational strife have permanently
subsided2 | am not sanguine enough
to lay this hattering JUNCTION to my
soul. Unbridled ambition, thirst
for wide dominion, pride OF power
still hold sway, although with less
ened force and in some degree I'M
der the restraint of the healthier
opinion Of the world. But further,
friend as | am Of peace, would
yet affirm that there may be even
greater calamities than war-the dis
honor OF nation, the triumph of
an unrighteous cause, the perpetu-
alton Of hopeless and debasing
tyranny. 1t behooves them all who
are friends of peace and advocates
Of arbitration to recognize the
difficulties of the question to ex-
anime aud meet these difficulties
and to discriminate between the
cases in which friendly arbitration
is and in which it may not be prac-
tically possible.
ARBITRATION WILL NOT COVER
the whole field Of international con-
troversy, and unless, and until the
great powers Of the world in league
bind themselves to coerce recall
citrant member of the family OF
nations, we have still to face the
more than possible disregard by
powerful states of the obligations
of good faith and Of justice. The
scheme of such a combination has
been advocated, but the signs OF its
, accomplishment are absent. doubt
whether in any case permanent
tribunal, the members of which shall
be priority designated, is practical or
desirable. In the first place the
character of the best tribunal must
largely depend on what is to be
arbitrated.
The interests involved are COM
monty so enormous and the forces
of national sympathy, pride and
prejudice are SO searching, so great
aud 80 subtle that | doubt whether
a tribun al, the membership of which
had character of permanence, even
il solely composed OF men accustom-
ed to exercise the judicial faculty
would long retain general confidence
and / fear it might gradually as
sumo intolerable pretensions.
THERE is DANGER, TOO,
to be guarded against from another
quarter. So long as war remains