Washington, shortly after the war began.

[Illustration: First page of the author's passport.]

"_The opinion of the world is the mistress of the world_," he said,
"and the processes of international law are the slow processes by which
opinion works its will. What impresses me is the constant thought that
that is the tribunal at the bar of which we all sit. I would call your
attention, incidentally, to the circumstance that it does not observe
the ordinary rules of evidence; which has sometimes suggested to me
that the ordinary rules of evidence had shown some signs of growing
antique. Everything, rumour included, is heard in this court, and the
standard of judgment is not so much the character of the testimony as
the character of the witness. The motives are disclosed, the purposes
are conjectured and that opinion is finally accepted which seems to be,
not the best founded in law, perhaps, but the best founded in integrity
of character and of morals. That is the process which is slowly
working its will upon the world; and what we should be watchful of is
not so much jealous interests as sound principles of action. The
disinterested course is not alone the biggest course to pursue; but it
is in the long run the most profitable course to pursue. If you can
establish your character you can establish your credit.

"Understand me, gentlemen, I am not venturing in this presence to
impeach the law. For the present, by the force of circumstances, I am
in part the embodiment of the law and it would be very awkward to
disavow myself. But I do wish to make this intimation, that in this
time of world change, in this time when we are going to find out just
how, in what particulars, and to what extent the real facts of human
life and the real moral judgments of mankind prevail, it is worth while