The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-05-29
Review of the C&&@lic s!
Doctrine of r.

. AAAO
aced by foreign aggression, not other
wise to be prevented than by war; sec
ondly, the fact of actual violation OF
right not otherwise reparable; third
ly, the need Of Furnishing the threat
ening power or infringing power for
the security of the future. From the
nature Of the proved right these three
facts are necessarily just titles, and
the state, whose rights are in jeopardy
is itself the Judge thereof.
Secondary titles may come to a
state; first, from the request of an.
other state in peril (or of a people
who happen to be in the possession OF
the right; secondly, from the fact of
the oppression of the innocent. whose
unjust suffering is proportionate to
the gravity of the war and whom it is
impossible to rescue in any other way;
in this latter case the innocent have
the right to resist, charity calls for
assistance, and the intervening state
may justly assume the communication
of the right of the innocent to exer.
else extreme coercion in their behalf
"The common good of the nation is
restricting condition upon the exer'
else Of it's right to go to war; but IT
is not of itself a sufficient title for
such exercise. Thus the mere expan.
sion Of trade, the acquisition Of new
territory, however beneficial or neces'
sary for developing state, gives no
natural right to wage war upon an.
other state to force that trade upon
her, or to extort measure of her sur.
plus territory, as the common good of
one state, has no greater right than
the common good of another, and
each is the Judge and guardian of it's
own. Much less may just title be
found in the mere need of exercising
a standing army, or reconciling a peo'
pie to the tax for its maintenance, OF
to escape revolutionary trouble at
home.
Furthermore, a clear title is limited
to the condition that war is necessary
as last appeal. Hence, if there il
reasonable ground to think that the Of
Tending state will remove its menace
repair the injury done, and pay a pen
atty sufficient to satisfy retributive
Justice, and give a fair security fol
the future-all in consequence of prop
er representation, judicious diplo
macy, patient urgency, a mere threat
of war, or any other just means short
of actual war-then war itself cannot
yet be said to be necessity and in
such premises lacks title.
Force is not successful means
of securing honor; unless it be tc
assure the due recognition of the right
of the sovereign power behind that
honor; while in the calm forum o1
deliberate reason, the loss of one hu
man life outweighs the mere offend
ed vanity of king or people.
Finally, state going to war mus
weigh its own probable losses in bloot
and treasure, and its prospect of vic
tory, before it may rightly enter upor
war; for the interests of the com
mon good at home forbid the exercise
of force abroad, unless reasonably cal
culated not to be an ultimate grave
loss to ones own community. Thi'
is not properly limitation of title
but prudential limitation upon tn
exercise of right i'm the face of full
title.
The subject-Matter Of the Right o
War.
"This will cover what may be don
by the warning power in exercise O
its right. 1t embraces the infliction Q
all manner of damage to property an
life of the other state and it's contend
ing subjects, up to the measure re
uuisite to enforce submission, imply
ing the acceptance Of final readjus
ment and proportionate penalty;
includes in general all acts that ar
necessary means to such damage, bu
is checked by the proviso that neithe
the damage inflicted nor the mean
taken involve actions that are ii
trinsically immoral.
I'm the prosecution Of the war, th
killing or injuring of non-combatant
! (women, children, the aged and fe
: BILE, or even those capable of bearin
arms, but as a matter of fact not
any way participating in the war;
consequently barred, except whel
their simultaneous destruction is a
unavoidable accident attending the q
!. tack upon the contending force. Tt
) wanton destruction of the property
7 such non-combatants, where such d
: struction cannot make for submissio
D reparation or proportionate punis
: ment, is beyond the pale of the ju
( subject-matter of war. The phras
All is fair in love and war, ca
not be taken seriously; it is loo
0 byword and runs counter to rigf
8 reason, natural law and justice.
Y "In conclusion, war, to be Jul