The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-01-25
THE RIGHT OF
NATIONS AS THEY
ARE UNDERSTOOD.


"t-F=S4A-ssta
their navigation, In places where
no local authority exists, where
the subjects 81 al states meet
on a footing Of entire equality
ana independence, no one; state;
or any Of Its subj ectas has right x.
20 assume or exercise auth rtty
over the subjects Of another.
'erhe right DC equality Is also to
30 undorstood III the sense In which
4 was stated and Illustrated by John
lfarshaii, chief Justice OF the SUI
prsme Court of the United States,
who. III deciding the case OF The An.
teiops. FL 1896 ireported I'm! 10 Wheat,
on'g Reports, pp. SO. 3122.)
@In this Commerce. thus Sane.
toned ~ uniyersalS assent, every
Rnge. How 81 this right to be
lis own people; but can this re-
nuncistion affect others?
mo principle yof5 general law is
ncre tiniyersally acknowledged,
than tho perfect equality OF ma
tiona. Russia and Geneva have
equal rights 1tsresults from this /.
eqnatity5 that no one can right
1ulIy impose g rule or. another.
Nach tegis1ateB for itself, but Its
lofillati0n can operate on itself
alone. 4 ffsht, then, which IS
Veated Ii all by the consent or 8
nj, can be Invested only by con-
5ene. and this (s1nYe) trade, in
which al have part cfpated, must
remain lawful 70 those who can
not BE Induced to yelinqutsh It.
Az milton can prescribe rule
for others. none can make a law
IL nations: and this traffic re-
Innina lawful to those whose gov.
ernnents have not forbidden It,.
'srhe fiRhk ofg equality Is further to
BE understood In the sense In which
Il Wis expressed and illustrated BY
NJ. Eifhu Root, In the following pas
sase from tie address which he de-
Iiysfed ia his capacity OF Secretary
81 State ofS the United States I'm the
ufererce of the official delegates OF
III swentyones American Republics
acctedited rs the Third Pan-Amertcan
Confefance held at Rio de Janeiro on
July So 1905: n.
eve Wish for no victories but
thos6 of peace & for no territory
except onr own; II for sovereignty
exeept the soyereignty over our
neives! WEI deem the independ-
once ana equal rights Of the
afneilest and Weakest member OF
the family OF nations to as much
respeef ii those Of the greatest
emptfe, and we deem the obsery.
anee of that respect the chief
rIIaranfySoff the weak against the
0npreasion Of the Strong. we
neither claim nor desire any
FiFhts. or privileges; or powers
TINT we do not freely concede to
svefyl American Republic. We
VIII to increase our prosperity,
10 expand our trade; to grow in
wisdom and I'm spirit. but my own
conception ofs the true way to &C
conpfish this not to pull down
others and prof by their ruin,
but 10 help all lends to a COM
mon PROSPERITY and a common
Growth. that We may all become
freater and stronger together
The rikht ofS q nation to exercise
exciusfve iuri sdict ion over it's terri
tory md ais persons therein, cited IN
lie fourth arti cIe; is supported by
these citations:
sSrhis Fight Is to Rbe understood in
the sense IN which it was stated by
Chief Justice Marshall in the follow
I'M passaEe Of his Judgment In the
case q the schooner Exchange IRE
ported IN d Cranch's Reports, PIP.
lie. 13B.7,) decided by the Supreme
Court q the United ! States in the year
1912: WI
THE sdictiOn Of the ma: