A NATION is composed of individuals. Each individual is a moral being. In his conduct as a citizen he is bound by the law of rectitude. Hence the nation is bound by the law of rectitude.

The nations of the earth must have intercourse with each other. That intercourse must be regulated by certain rules. The rules that regulate the intercourse of nations constitute international law. That law should consist of rules prescribed by justice. It does consist of the rules that have received the assent of all the nations of Christendom.

International law is not the result of legislative enactment. There is no international legislature to make laws, no international judiciary to interpret them, and no international executive to enforce them. The usages with respect to national intercourse, recognized by all Christian nations, form the body of what is termed international law. These laws have no

specific penalties attached to their violation. They are placed under the protection of public opinion. The remedy in case of violation is war.

The following are some of the recognized principles or rules of international law:

"Nations are equal in respect to each other, and entitled to claim equal consideration for their rights, whatever may be their relative dimensions or strength, or however greatly they may differ in government, religion, or manners." Hence no nation has a right to interfere in the domestic concerns of any other nation. Each nation may manage its affairs as it pleases, provided it does not infringe on the rights of other nations. It may change its government for a better one or for a worse one, as it pleases. It may cease to have commercial intercourse with one nation or with all nations, and it may grant to one nation greater privileges than it grants to other nations.

If it pursues a course adapted to injure a nation, that nation may take measures to prevent the threatened injury. If the government of a country should outrage humanity in the treatment of its subjects, then intervention in behalf of humanity would be lawful. On this principle, Great Britain, France, and Russia interfered in favor of the Greeks against the Turks in 1827, and brought to a close a cruel war, and secured the independence of Greece.

One nation is not to judge as to the legitimacy of

the government of another nation. It is bound to regard the existing government, the government defacto, no matter by what means it came into power, as the lawful government.

Changes that may take place in the government of a nation do not affect its relations to other nations. Treaties formed with a nation under a kingly government remain in force though that kingly government be changed for a democracy. The United States borrowed money from the royal government of France. It paid it to the revolutionary government. The debt was due, not to the king or to the Directory, but to the French nation.

A nation has exclusive jurisdiction over all its territory, including the rivers and lakes lying wholly within it, and the adjoining sea to the extent of a marine league from the shore. It has a right to try and punish according to its own laws crimes committed on its territory, whoever may be the perpetrator.

The open sea is the common property of all nations. It is the common highway of nations. Each nation has exclusive jurisdiction over its vessels on the high

seas.

When a river separates two countries, the dividing line runs along the centre of the channel. Both nations have a right to use its waters for purposes of navigation.

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When a navigable river rises in one country and flows through another in its passage to the sea, inhabitants of the upper country have a right to the navigation of the river to the sea, under such regulations as may be necessary to the safety of the lower country.

Foreigners resident in a country are subject to its laws. They are entitled to protection, and if, while permitted to remain, they are oppressed, their native country would have to seek redress in their behalf. They can claim protection and justice, though they cannot claim all the privileges of citizens.

The following persons are not subject to the laws in the land of their temporary sojourn:

1. Sovereigns and their attendants travelling abroad. 2. Ambassadors and the members of their suite and family.

Ambassadors possess immunity from the jurisdiction of the country in which they reside, both criminal and civil. They are representatives of the country from which they are sent, and are subject to its laws only. Complete independence could not be possessed, if they were not exempted from all responsibility to the laws of the country to which they are sent, and complete independence is necessary to a faithful discharge of their duty. If an ambassador should abuse his privileges and commit crimes, the government to which he is accredited may demand

his recall, or if the case is urgent, may require him to depart within a reasonable time.

3. Officers and crews of public armed ships in foreign ports, while on board their ships. If they go on shore and violate the laws, they may be arrested by the authorities and punished. The crews of merchant vessels have no such exemption.

A government may, if it sees fit, refuse to receive an ambassador; the refusal would not be a just cause for war.

Treaties are made by ambassadors acting under instructions from their government. After the treaty has been signed by the ambassador, it must be ratified by the sovereign or government which he represents. The sovereign or government may refuse to ratify the treaty, though the ambassador in making it may have adhered strictly to his instructions.

When a treaty has been violated by one of the parties, the other party is released from obligation to observe it.

If a nation has been treated unjustly by another nation, and redress is refused, resort may be had to war. "War," says Chancellor Kent, "is not to be resorted to without absolute necessity, nor unless peace would be more dangerous and more miserable than war itself. An injury to an individual member of a State is a just cause of war, if redress be refused; but a nation is not bound to go to war on so slight a founda