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ESSAY

ON A

CONGRESS OF NATIONS,

FOR THE ADJUSTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES WITHOUT
RESORT TO ARMS.

CONTAINING THE SUBSTANCE OF

THE REJECTED ESSAYS ON THAT SUBJECT.

WITH

ORIGINAL THOUGHTS AND A COPIOUS APPENDIX.

BY WILLIAM LADD.

BOSTON:

WHIPPLE AND DAMRELL, 9 CORNHILL.

1840.

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ADVERTISEMENT.

As this Essay is expected to go out to the world as a separate pamphlet, or volume, as well as to be bound up with the Prize Essays on a Congress of Nations, published by the American Peace Society, it is necessary to notify those to whom it may come separate of this circumstance. Thirty-five of the dissertations, out of a greater number -I believe about forty-which were handed in for the purpose of claiming the reward offered by two gentlemen of New York, through the American Peace Society, have been read by me. Others have been withdrawn, some of which have been published by the authors of them. The Society concluded to accept the advice of the first committee of award, -the Hon. Messrs. Story, Wirt and Calhoun,to publish the five best Essays; as the second committee, consisting of Ex-president Adams, Chancellor Kent and the Hon. Daniel Webster, did not agree on the successful competitor. The Peace Society appointed a committee of their own body to select five of the best dissertations for publication, having an eye to the awards of the abovenamed committees, and directed me to add a sixth, taking all the matter from the rejected Essays worth preserving, which is not contained in the Essays selected for publication. I have attended to this duty. In reading over these Essays, I noted down every thought worth preserving; and I present them here in a body, with such reflections, additions and historical facts as occurred to me during my labor; so that my claim to originality, in this production, rests much on the thought of separating

the subject into two distinct parts, viz., 1st. A congress of ambassadors from all those Christian and civilized nations who should choose to send them, for the purpose of settling the principles of international law by compact and agreement, of the nature of a mutual treaty, and also of devising and promoting plans for the preservation of peace, and meliorating the condition of man. 2d. A court of nations, composed of the most able civilians in the world, to arbitrate or judge such cases as should be brought before it, by the mutual consent of two or more contending nations: thus dividing entirely the diplomatic from the judicial functions, which require such different, not to say opposite, characters in the exercise of their functions. I consider the Congress as the legislature, and the Court as the judiciary, in the government of nations, leaving the functions of the executive with public opinion, "the queen of the world." This division I have never seen in any essay or plan for a congress or diet of independent nations, either ancient or modern; and I believe it will obviate all the objections which have been heretofore made to such a plan.

I advise all persons, into whose hand this Essay may fall, to purchase the volume of Prize Essays, published by the American Peace Society, for they will find them, in many respects, very far superior to this in style and richness of matter, both historical and original; and they will also assist the Society, now burthened with debt, which will be increased by the publication of these Essays, unless they meet with a ready sale.

BOSTON, FEBRUARY, 1840.

WILLIAM LADD.

ESSA Y.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION AND GENERAL REMARKS.

1. Self-love-2, Man a social being—3. Man as a rational being seeks alliance of others-4. Of Conquest-5. Of voluntary government— 6. Safety the chief object of government-7. Nations moral persons -8. International Law necessary for their government—9. Difficulties anticipated-10. Extent of the organization-11. Want of power to enforce decrees.

1. SELF-LOVE is a passion universally predominant in the animal, man. It was born with him, is inherent in his nature, and is the mainspring of all his actions, while he continues in his natural state. In this state, man seeks the gratification of his animal passions, without regard to the welfare of others. As this is the case with every man in a state of nature, it follows, that every man is liable to come into conflict with every other man in his immediate neighborhood, and to resort to violence to gratify his lusts and passions. Hence, as was observed by Hobbes, "the

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