The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-18
,MFRIcAN BAR ASSOCIATION.
xr.I SESSION CoNVENEs AT sAR-
ATOGA YESTERDAY.

,,.on B, Parker Welcomes the
,,,bers-AnnuaI Address of the
uu..ident. Mr.. William Writ How"
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and
,,,..+ion of Members-Interestin
,,ooers Read and Discussed.
e.-atoga. N. Y, Aug. 1.-THE American
o.. association began its annual session
here to-day
rb.rs was a large attendance of distin-
un,sbad members of the bar from all parts
Of the country.
The address of the president of the as
.,.iar,on. Mr.. William Writ
Howe of Louisiana, embodied
survey of the work of the asso-
li,.f,f for the past year, felicitation of
H.. -,tory at arms and eulogistic refer
80 ia West Point and Annapolis.
N. then branched into the discussion
At arbitration, the adjustment of contro-
rersias Of nations by the enlightened med
INN as favored by resolutions of the as
soeiation for two consecutive meetings.
BE- said:
D"Tbe continued use of warfare in mod
srn DAYS and as between nations pretend
r5 TO he Christian is one of those para
Ave that may wen justify the philosophy
i Al sohopenhauer. Manifestly ii is a sur
5,-ai of savagery. AS the human race
les become slowly civilized, private war
fare has become almost abolished. There
was a time no doubt when what the jur-
ISIS can 'self-help' was resorted TO for
i The purpose of enforcing private rights of
every KIND, and we may well imagine its
advocates resisting the establishment of
co1rts. that is, of arbitration in private
natters-with many of the same argu-
nents substantially that we now hear in
IMPOSITION 40 International action of SIM
lar kind But in due time-though when,
weciseiy we cannot say--humanity be-
came weary of private warfare, self help
ame to be unlawful, and the man who
desired to enforce his private right was
obliged to appeal to a tribunal of some
i kind. The Code of Justinian denounces
the attempt to assert a private right by
a wivate force as insane arrogance and
wovides a punishment. And whatever
NAV be said of the Roman domination, it
reasonably certain that the Roman
& mace which prevailed so long under that
lomination was very benehcent in con-
araiuing the then civilized world to sub
nit its disputes to courts of law. When
y the empire went to pieces, there was a
4 ertain reaction, and private force and
miyate warfare characterized the medic
val period to some extent, but civilization
q has again triumphed and the individual
& Is again required to submit almost all
bis disputes and claims to a tribunal of
n some kind. 1t is useful to remember,
now and then, the change that has come
over the enlightened portion of the world
n since the latter part of what we call the
middle ages. If Athos, Porthos and Ara
mis- We're TO appear even in Paris, to-day,
and behave as they did in the delightful
novel of Dumas, they would be in the
Nckup in an hour The world is tired of
private warfare and personal turbulence.
The ideal of manhood, in private life, is
the quiet modest gentleman who vaunteth
not himself and doth not behave himself
unseemly.
TT is not possible that such a benelcent
change should take place also in the ideals
Of national life Some of our journalists
and some of our politicians seem to think
it impossible. To some of them, the great
American game of poker with its bluff
aud dts Drag is fitting type of national
conduct. To others it seems to be an
article of faith that while we may all
try with more or less success to be gen.
temen in our individual capacities, yet the
moment We enter the domain of public
conduct we must be precisely the reverse,
ana present our country in the presence
Of the world as the very embodiment Of
everything that would be either absurd
Va hi9HAAC ldble III private lie.
But We may hope that such an ideal
EiA not always prevail. We may hope
mat public warfare may at least be so
limited II possible, as to put it in the way
oil gradual extinction as the race is fur
tner civilized
The subject of international arbitration
H. OF course, not free from difficulty and
Is often misunderstood or even misstat-
I'll IN popular discussion. No one will denv
nf al 4 Zoe, -
never been denied to individuals even
where self-help' has been most stringently
Eohloited. Nor does any one propose so
ldf as 1 know, to undertake to apply the
Pincpies OF arbitration as between a civil
Eed nation on the one hand and a people
vi 'he other so barbarous as not to be able
appreciate or observe those principles.
a people may be so savage that they must
Ve uealt with as we deal with unruly chill
aIen. Nor do we propose to move too rap
liy IN this important matter, for 1t is
geHeNed mat all true and abiding progress
- necessarily deliberate. All we ask for
constant and sincere effort in a true di-
ecuon. 1t is too late for any one TO say
m1t International arbitration is not practi-
cue IL mas been successfully tried many
u'Hes during the last thirty years. AT a
,s0shl conference held in this state in June
sst lat Lake Mohonk) il was stated that
.u'Hs the year past, fourteen controver-
ne hdd been under consideration by such
u'DuHdls. The movement in the right di-
"Iuoh mas certainly begun. We simply
ssN mat 1t go on. We know that war is
solue llmes dread necessity and we Weld
sNeuehce TO no man or class of men in
Nouoh 10 our common country when she
o .U' ms IL necessary to draw the sword. OF
'le so-calied learned professions, the
81, can bar has, from colonial times
."i'5uShed by far the largest proportion of
2iuieIs- Our friends of the clergy, If they
sp Nolunteered at all, have naturally
S 'p generally gone as chaplains and have
~ nooIe work as such. Our friends of
ss e uloulcal profession have generally gone
s5, su'seons and have done noble work as
a. ELL me members of the bar have gone
Sa-, 9o'.iIefs pure and simple, and every
Sa l''P s,lssn from Louisburg to Santiago has
n, 81 Illustrated by their devotion. And vet
No. NOV JlWV that there is "a more excellent
h,t 4, ar may be necessary sometimes,
u Is cruel and savage:
Is g4., VINO loves war for wars own sake
'o0'' or erazed or worse"
po,,r,. 'ne best, war is a crude and tenn
mieb,' means to attaln some result chat