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. 
