THE HIGHER INTERCOURSE BETWEEN NATIONS. 83 



FurtluT ; yc sluill not .steal. Ye ahiiW steul neitlior 

 kingdoms nor provinces. Wliiit is iorbiddcn to a pri- 

 vate individual is still more Ibrbidden to a nation or a 

 sovereign. W'liat would you tliiiik of a i)rivatc indi- 

 vidual who, linding his vineyard or his field too strait 

 for his wants or for his comibrt and convenience, should 

 seriously demand of his neighbor a rectification of fron- 

 tiers ? AVhat would you say of a private person who, 

 looking forth from the midst of his vast estate upon 

 some intruding angle of another's property, of ancient 

 date and venerable association, should say to the pro- 

 prietor, '* Your castle is the natural capital of my do- 

 main. If you don't give it to me, I'll take it, or I'll 

 have it taken ?'' " Ye shall not steal," says the Law 

 to governments as well as individuals, to nations as well 

 as mon arch s. 



It adds, moreover, '' Yq shall not bear false witness 

 against your neighbor." Ye shall not lie through the 

 penetrating voice of the press, after ye have lied in the 

 secret whispers of diplomacy. Y^'e shall not pervert the 

 conscience of the people. Y^'e shall not make use of 

 calumny, in defiiult of force, against the rights of the 

 small and weak. 



This is international justice. This is the sacred bond 

 which constitutes and sustains the commouAvealth of 

 nations. 



Some day history will be written, I am sure, as it is 

 not written now, as it never has been written yet — for 

 under other forms the evils Avhich afflict us have afflicted 

 our fathers before us — history will learn, at last, to speak 

 the truth. It will say that such iniquities are not to 

 be condoned by success ; that not success, but justice is 

 the law of nations ; finally, that such acts as these are 

 not glory, but national robbery. 



