Even for the sake of its own
advantage--in order that no thought of injustice, plunder and violence
may spring up in its own subjects, and no possible opportunity be
afforded them for any gain, except by labor and industry, in the
sphere assigned by law--every State must forbid as strictly, must
hinder as carefully, must compensate as exactly, and punish as
severely, an injury done to the citizen of a neighbor-State, as if it
were inflicted upon a fellow-citizen. This law respecting the security
of its neighbors is necessary to every State which is not a community
of robbers. And herewith the possibility of every just complaint of
one State against another, and every case of legitimate defense, are
done away.
There are no necessarily and continuously direct relations between
States, as such, that could engender warfare. As a general rule, it
is only through the relations of single citizens of one State with the
citizens of another--it is only in the person of one of its members,
that a State can be injured. But this injury will be instantly
redressed, and the offended State satisfied.
* * * * *
That a whole nation should determine, for the sake of plunder, to
attack a neighboring country with war, is impossible, since in a State
in which all are equal the plunder would not become the booty of
a few, but must be divided equally among all, and, so divided, the
portion of each individual would never repay him for the trouble of a
war.
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