The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-25

the conclusion that there are sanctions for the enforcement of International law no less real and substantial than those which secure obedience to municipal laws.
 Fear of the Public.
 'In the vast majority of cases, men refrain from criminal conduct because they are unwilling to incur in the com munity in which they live the public condemnation which would follow repu- tation of the standard of conduct pre- scribed by that community for it's mem- bers Where it happens that the law and public opinion point different ways, the latter is invariably the stronger. The force of law is in the public which pre- scribes it. Conformity. to the standaf&' ~of h,1tsrsss Hipteg My which obtains in the community Is necessary to be a suc- cess. Social esteem and standing, power and high place in the professions, in public office, in all associated enterprise, depend upon conformity to the standards of conduct in the community Loss of these is the most terrible penalty society can inflict.
 'The rules of international law are en- forced by the same kino of sanction, less certain and peremptory, but continually increasing in effectiveness of control. A decent respect to the opinions of man kind did not begin or emu among nations with the American declaration of inde- pendence; but it is interesting that the first public national act in the new world should be an appeal to that universal. international public opinion, the power and effectiveness of which the new world has done so much to promote.
 Mutual Ignorance.
 "In former times each isolated nation, satisfied with it's own opinion of itself and indifferent to the opinion of others. separated from all others by mutual ignorance and infringement. regarded only the physical power of other nations. Now, however, there may be seen plain ly the effects of long continued pro- cess which is breaking down the isolation of nations, permeating every country with better Knowledge and understanding of every other country, spreading through out the world and knowledge of each government conduct to serve as basis for criticisms and judgment, and grad ually creating a community of national standards of conduct are being estab- lished, and a world wide public opinion is holding nations to conformity, or con demning them for disregard of the es- tablished standards.
 Common Public Opinion.
 "Pari passu with the breaking down of isolation, that makes a common public opinion possible, the building up of stan dards of conduct is being accomplished by the formulation and establishment of rules that are being gradually taken out of the domain of discussion into that of general acceptance-a process in which the recent conferences at The Hague have played a great and honorable part. There is no civilized country now which is not sensitive to this general opinion, none that is willing to subject itself to the discredt of standing brutally on it's power to deny the other countries the benefit of recognized rules of right con- duct The difference shown to this inter- national public opinion is in due propor- tion to nations greatness and advance in civilization. The nearest approach to defiance will be found among the most isolated and least civilized countries whose ignorance of the world prevents the effect of the worlds opinion, and in every such country internal disorder, oppression, poverty and wretchedness mark the penalties which warn mankind that the laws established by civilization for the guidance of national conduct can not be ignored with impunity.
 international Opinion.
 'Manfestly this power of international public opinion is exercised not so much by governments as by the people of each country whose opinions are interpreted in the press and determine the countries at- titude toward the nation whose conduct is under consideration. International , opnon is the consensus of individual opin- ion in the nations. The most certain way to promote obedience to the law of na- tions and to substitute the power of opin- ion for the power of armies and navies, is, on the one hand, to foster that decent respect to the opinions of mankind which found place in the government decara- ton of 1776, and on the other hand D spread among the people of every coun- try just appreciation of international rights and duties and knowledge of the principles and rules of international law, to which national conduct ought to con form; so that the general opinion. whose approval and condemnation supplies the sanction for the law, may be sound and just and worthy of respect''
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