94 THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 



commence hostilities immediately accrues. We all read last summer 

 of the discussion which took place with reference to the declaration 

 of war between Spain and the United States. It was then discussed 

 at great length whether the seizure of Spanish vessels, the handing 

 in of the passports of the resident ambassadors of both countries, 

 was a sufficient declaration of war ; but the conclusions arrived at 

 by the jurists of the present century is that it is not necessary that 

 notice must be given to an enemy before entering upon war, 

 although the war of 1870 was commenced by a declaration handed 

 to Count Bismarck by the French Charge d' Affaires ; and in 1877, 

 between Russia and Turkey, a formal dispatch was handed to the 

 Turkish Charge d' Affaires at St. Petersburg. 



We may now consider the end of wars. Treaties of peace put 

 an end to the war and absolutely abolish the subject of it. We 

 are now hearing daily of the negotiations between Spain and 

 America in Paris. When these are concluded the cause of the war 

 will have been put to an end. An armistice is a sort of partial 

 truce. A peace is always preceded by an armistice, and an armistice 

 by a suspension of arms, which is only a shorter armistice. I cannot 

 enlarge upon the many forms of truces, cartels, safe conducts, pass- 

 ports, safe guards, etc., as the time approaches when I must close ; 

 but this paper would be incomplete were I not to mention some of 

 the proposals to abate war. War is irreconcilable with Christianity, 

 its belief and practices. The Prince of Peace has forbidden war, 

 and Christians therefore earnestly desire arbitration as a means of 

 settling disputes. Nations, however, like individuals, are singularly 

 human, and where their view of disputed points clashes with the 

 view of another nation, pride, more than real interest, often brings 

 about war. We have had an example of this in the recent Fashoda 

 incident. The want of coercive power is the chief drawback, though 

 there are others which interfere with this end and distinguishes 

 international arbitrations from private ones. An example of this 

 lack of power was evident in the Behring Sea dispute when, although 

 compensation was ordered to bs paid to the owners of captured 

 sealers, some four years ago, it is only to-day that the money is being 

 paid over, and that more through a change in sentiment than for 

 any other reason. About twelve years ago an eminent Frenchman, 

 De Molinair, published a proposal for what he called a league of 



