Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-08-21

| he needs no Introduction to any Eng
| lish speaking lawyer, but of present
| ing to YOU LORD Russell of Killowen.
| the Lord Chief Justice of England, who
| viii deliver the annual address on In
| ternational Arbitration"
As Lord Russell stepped forward the
| vast audience broke into applause
| which continued for fully a minute
| Throughout the delivery Of his paper
| which was more of an address than {
| forensic effort, Lord Russell spokc
| easily inpressively ana with great
| force. There was no eesticulation II
| stood easily, behind a high desk. viii
his hands firmly grasping the sides
| and read his address in even, convinc
| ing tones. which was frequently pune
tuated by applause. He said:
My first words must be in acknowi-
edgment Of the honor done me, by in
viting me to address you on this inter
esting occasion. You are a congress OF
lawyers of the United States, met to-
gethcr to take counsel. in 10 narrow
spirit, on questions affecting the inter
ests of your professions; to consider
| Necessary amendments in the law which
experience and time develop: and t.
examine the current of judicial decision
and Of legislation, state and federal
and whittier that current tends. l. OF
the other hand, come 1rom the judicial
bench of a distant land. and yet do NOT
feel that | am a stranger among you
nor do You. think regard me as Il
stranger. Though we represent 20
litical communities which differ widely
in many respects, we yet have many
things in common.
We speak the same language; we ad-
minister laws based on the same jurid-
cal conceptions; we are co-heirs in the
rich traditions of political freedom Ions
established, and. we enjoy in common II
literature, the noblest and the purest
the world has knoWn--an accumulated
store of centuries to which YOU on your
part. have made generous contributions
Beyond this. the unseen crimson.
thread of kinship, stretching from the
mother islands to your great continent.
unites US, and reminds us always that
we belong to the same. though mixed
racial family, combining at once terri
torial dominion, political anuence and
intellectual force greater than history
records in the case of any other people
This consideration is prominent amongst
those which suggest the theme on which
| desire TO address you-namely, inter
national law
The English speaking peoples. mas
ters not alone of extended territory, but
also of mighty commerce. the energy
ana enterprise of whose sons have made |
them the great travellers and colonizers |
OF the World-haVe interests to safeguard |
in every quarter of it, and therefore. in |
an especial manner, it is important to |
them that the rules which govern the |
relations of states inter Sc should be well |
understood, and should rest on the |
solid bases of convenience of Justice and |
OF reason.
| call the rules which civilized nations |
have agreed shall bind them in their con- |
duct inter Sc, by the Benthamite title |
International law" And here, Mr.. |
President. on the threshold of my sub
tect l find an obstacle in my way. Ny |
right so to describe them is challenged |
Ii IS said by some that there is no inter-
national law, and that there is only |
bundle, more or less confused of rules to |
which nations more or less conform, but
that international law there is none
Mr. Russell reviewed at great length |
the relations of law to the history of the
two nations, quoting numerous decis-
ions which have formed some of the most |
important presidents. Coming to the
consideration of what characterizes the
later tendencies of international law he
said it was, in a word, their greater
humanity.
The cry for peace is an old world cry.
II iidS ecHoeu through all the ages, and
arbitration has long been regarded as
the handmaiden of peace Arbitration
has. indeed. venerable history of its
own. According to Thucydides. the his
torian of the Peloponnesian war; Archi-
damus, King of Sparta. declared that sit
was unlawful to attack an enemy who
offered to answer for his acts before a
tribunal of arbiters."
It is obvious, therefore that the senti
llNlent OF peace and in fa of ri.
ton, as the alternative for war, is grow
Ing apace. How has that sentiment told
on the direct action of nations? How
far have they shaped their policy ac-
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