PHI LOS 0 P H Y . - Classic Works of Apologetics Online

Milit~ry Establisbments. 479
t.hat this utility ha,;ng a finate and determinate val ..
ue, situations may he feigned, and consequently may
possibly arise, in which the general tendency is outweighed
by the eno;~mjty of the particular mi:;chief:
but she recaIs, at the ~ame time, to th,~ consideration
of th!: inqu;r'er, the almost ine~timable importance, as
of other general rules of relative ju~tice·, so e~pecially
of national and pel-sonal fidelity: the UnSeeI!, if not
unbounded~ extent of tIle Ini~chief \\:I1ich must fol.
low from the want of it; the danger of leaving it to
the !=uffercr to deci(je upon the comparison of particular
and general consequence~; and the still greater.
danger of such decisions bing drawn into future pre ..
ceden:~;. If tl-eaties, for instance, be no longer binding
tpan whilst they are convnient, or until the inconv~nie~lcy
ascend to a certain point, which point
fi1U.\t be fixeci by tbe jtldgment, or rather by the fe~Iings,
of the comp~ainin~ Farty; or if such an opiniOtl,
after -being alJthoriz-~d by a few examples, come
at length to pre\rai!; one and alm'Jst the only meth­
Qd of averting or closing the calamities of war, of
either preventing or putting a stop to the de~truction
of nlankind, i3 10.- t to the world for ever. \Ve do
not say that no evil can exceed this, nor any possible
advantage compensate it; but we say that a loss,
\Vl1ich affects all, will ~carcely be made up to the common
stock of human happiness by any benefit that can
be procured to a ~ingle Ilation, which, however respectable
when comI~ared \vith any other single nation,
bears an inco:1siderable pr0portion to the whole.
1'!lese, hO\\TeVer, art: the principles upon which the
calculation is to be formed. It is enough, in this
place, tl) remark tll(~ cause which produces the hesitation
that we sometimes feel, in applying rules of
personal probity to the conduct of nations .
.Lis l)C't\veen in,j~.viduals it is f()und inlpossible to
asccrtaitl every {luty by all immediate reference to
puL)!ic utility, nc)t only because such reference is of ..
tC!ltinl~.\S t()O reolot ~ f()r tl1e directioll of private con­
:-- ·!~ncc~~" hut because a l11Ultitlldt? ()f cases arise in
,,;));,h it ~:: .;ndift~··rf'nt to the gencr:.t! interest by what