8925. WAR, Redress of wrongs by.—
The answer to the question: “Is it common
for a nation to obtain a redress of wrongs by
war”? you will, of course, draw from history.
In the meantime, reason will answer it on
grounds of probability, that where the wrong
has been done by a weaker nation, the
stronger one has generally been able to enforce
redress; but where by a stronger nation,
redress by war has been neither obtained nor
expected by the weaker. On the contrary,
the loss has been increased by the expenses
of the war in blood and treasure. Yet it
may have obtained another object equally securing
itself from future wrong. It May
have retaliated on the aggressor losses of
blood and treasure far beyond the value to
him of the wrong he has committed, and thus
have made the advantage of that too dear a
purchase to leave him in a disposition to renew
the wrong in future.—
To Rev. Mr. Worcester. Washington ed. vi, 539.
(M.
1816)
