VI ADMINISTRATIVE \THIUSM 



relation to one another as men in a state of nature, 

 or unlimited freedom. Each endeavours tog.-t all 

 it can, until the inconvenience of the state of war 

 suggests either the formation of those express 

 contracts we call treaties, or mutual consent to 

 those implied contracts which are expressed by 

 international law. Thp mnral rigVi+g r>f a State 

 rrt upnn thr nnmnnnnin TIJ thrnr nf nn individual. 

 If any number of States agree to observe a com- 

 mon set of international laws, they have, in fact, 

 set up a sovereign authority or supra-national 

 government, the end of which, like that of all 

 governments, is__the_gopd of mankind ; and the 

 possession of as much freedom by each State, as is 

 consistent with the attainment of that end. But 

 there is this difference : that the government thus 

 jset up over nations is ideal, and has no concrete 

 Representative of the sovereign power ; whence the 

 only way of settling any dispute finally is to fight 

 jit out. Thus the supra-national society is con- 

 tinually in danger of returning to the state of 

 nature, in which contracts are void ; and the pos- 

 sibility of this contingency justifies a government 

 "m restricting the liberty of its subjects in many 

 ways that would otherwise be unjustifiable. 



Finally, with respect to the advancement <! 

 science and art. I have never yet had the good 

 fortune to hear any valid reason alle-vd why that 

 corporation of individuals we call the State may 

 not do what voluntary effort fails in doing, either 



