de Vattel: Of The Common Duties of a Nation Towards Others; Or, of the Offices of Humanity Between Nations

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* NOW - Buy this resource online! Click here * Of The Common Duties of a Nation Towards Others;
Or, of the Offices of Humanity Between Nations§ 1. Foundation of the common and mutual duties of nations.§ 2. Offices of humanity, and their foundation.§ 3. General principle of all the mutual duties of nations.§ 4. Duties of a nation for the preservation of others.§ 5. It ought to assist a nation afflicted with famine or any other calamities.§ 6. It ought to contribute to the perfection of other states.§ 7. But not by force.§ 8. The right to require the offices of humanity.§ 9. The right of judging whether they are to be granted.§ 10. A nation is not to compel another to perform these.§ 11. Mutual love of nations.§ 12. Each nation ought to cultivate the friendship of others.§ 13. To perfect itself with a view to the advantage of others, and set them good examples.§ 14. To take care of their glory.§ 15. Difference of religion.§ 16. Rule and measure of the offices of humanity.§ 17. Particular limitation with regard to the prince.§ 18. No nation ought to injure others.§ 19. Offences.§ 20. Bad customs of the ancients.
   1. Fragm. ex. lib. ii. De Republica.
   2. De Officiis, lib. iii. cap. 5
   3. In 1672.
   4. He defeated the Turks, and obliged them to raise the siege of Vienna, in 1683.
   5. At the famous siege of Paris.
   6. The earthquake by which a great part of that city was destroyed.
   7. De Jure Belli et Pacis, lib. ii. cap. xx. § 11.
   8. Book I. chap. xv.
   9. Here, again, let us call in the authority of Cicero to our support. "All mankind (says that excellent philosopher) should lay it down as their constant rule of action, that individual and general advantage should be the same: for, if each man strives to grasp every advantage for himself, all the ties of human society will be broken. And, if nature ordains that man should feel interested in the welfare of his fellow-man, whoever he be, and for the single reason that he is a man, — it necessarily follows, that, according to the intentions of nature, all mankind must have one common interest. — Ergo unum debet esse omnibus propositum, ut eadem sit utilitas uniuscujusque et universorum: quam si ad se quisque raplat, dissolvetur omnis humana consociatio. Atque si etiam hoc natura præscribit, ut homo homini, quicunque sit, ob eam ipsam causam, quod is homo sit, consultum velit, necesse est, secundum eandem naturam, omnium utilitatem esse communem. De Offic. lib. iii. cap. iv. Note Ed. 1797.
   10. De Offic. lib. iii. cap. v.
   11. Lézer (professedly borrowed from the Latin lædo) is the term used by the author, who, in order the better to explain his meaning, proceeds to inform us, that "nuire (to hurt), offenser (to offend), faire tort (to wrong), porter dommage (to cause detriment), porter prejudice (to prejudice), blesser (to wound, or hurt), are not of precisely the same import," and that, by the word lézer (which is here rendered injure) he means, "in general, causing imperfection in the injured party, or in his condition — rendering his person or his condition less perfect."
   12. To the example of the Romans may be added that of the English in former days, — since, on the occasion of a navigator being accused of having committed some depredations on the natives of India. "this act of injustice" (according to Grotius) "was not without advocates who maintained, that, by ancient laws of England, crimes committed against foreign nations with whom there existed no public treaty of alliance, were not punishable in that kingdom." — History of the Disturbances in the Low Countries, book xvi.
   13. See § 1, a fine passage of Cicero.