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

.feSti
Of ~Var, and if
II. The conduct of war.-If the ~ausc and end of
war be juc;tifiable, ail the means that appear neces~ary
to the end are juc;tifiable also. This is the principle
which defends those extrclwties to \vl1ich the violence
of war usually proceeds: for since \\'ar i~ a contest
b}~ force between parties \\·110 aCkljO\vledge no
common superior, and since it incllides not in its idea
the supposition of any convention ~·hich shc.uld place
linlits to the operations of force, it has natura1ly nc,
boundary but that in which force terminates, the de~
str\lction of the life against which the force is directed.
I .. et it be observed, however, that the license of
\Var authorizes no acts of ho~tilitv bur what are necessary
or conducive to the end and obj.;ct of the war.
Gra~uitou~ barbarities borro\v no excuse from this
plea: of \Vllich kind is every cruelt)~ and every insult
that ser\"es only to exasperate the suffering5, or to
incense the hatred of an enemy, \~ithout \\~eakerling
his strength, or in any manner tending to procure .
hi~ submission; such as the $laughter of caprives;1 the
suhiectin!! of them to indignities or torture, til~ vic-
J C1 ~
l~ltiorl of \'Tom:~n, the profanation of telnples, the demolition
of public buildings, libraries, statutes, and in
general the desrruction or defacing of works that
conduce nothing to annoyance or defence. These
enormities are prohibited nor only by the practice of
civilized nations .. but by the law of nature itself; as
havillg no proper tendency to accelerate the termi.
nation., or accompli.,h the object of the war; and as
~Oi1tailling that '\Thiell in peace alld war is equally
unjustifiable-ultImate and gratuitous mischief.
1"hcr~ are other restrictions imposed on the conduct
of\var, nr~t by the law of nature prill1arily, but
by the lawi oj war, first" and by the Jaw of nature as
:;ceondillg and ratifying the laws of war. The laws
of \\idr are part l)f the law ()f nations; and founded,
;\s to their authority, upon the same principle with
the rest of that code, namely, upon the fact of their
beil1g ('stal"li~h~d, flO matter \VllCn ()r by V.,1,0nl; upon
!he l:xprctation of thc·ir being mutually observed, in
can:)('quence of that establishment; and upon the