186 THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON. 



this matter shown that even a question affecting, or 

 supposed to affect, national honor, may be settled by 

 arbitration ; and if we have not effected the establish 

 ment of international arbitration as the universal 

 substitute for war, we have co-operated to prove by 

 our example that the largest possible questions be 

 tween contending Governments are susceptible of 

 being settled by peaceful arbitration. As Lord Rip- 

 on truly says, in so doing, we have taken a great 

 step in the direction of the dearest of all earthly 

 blessings-, the blessing of peace. 



Let us hope that other nations may follow in our 

 footsteps. Great Britain, to her honor be it said, has 

 been true in this respect to the engagements she en 

 tered into at the Conferences of Paris. If we of the 

 British race are more capable of reasoning in the 

 midst of passion than others, then ours be the glory. 

 In all this, the sacrifices of feeling have been on 

 the side of Great Britain. We owe the acknowledg 

 ment to her, in all sincerity. Standing, as we now 

 do, side by side, with every cloud of offense removed 

 from between us, two peoples, as Mr. Gladstone has 

 well said, on whom the seal of brotherhood has been 

 stamped by the hand of the Almighty himself, we 

 may proudly point in unison to the homage we have 

 both rendered to the cause of peace and humanity 

 in the hall of arbitration at Geneva. 



