Theseventharticlemakesprovisionforanappeal，withinthreemonthsafterthenotificationofthedecision，uponpresentationofevidencethatthejudgmentcontainsasubstantialerroroffactorlaw。
Theeighthandfinalarticleprovidesthatthetreatyshallbecomeoperativewhenninesovereignstates，whereofatleastsixshallhavetakenpartintheconferenceofTheHague，shallhaveratifieditsprovisions。
Itturnsoutthatoursistheonlydelegationwhichhasanythinglikeafullandcarefullyadjustedplanforacourtofarbitration。TheEnglishdelegation，thoughevidentlyexceedinglydesirousthatasystemofarbitrationbeadopted，hascomewithoutanythingdefinitelydrawn。TheRussianshaveascheme;
but，sofarascanbelearned，thereisnoprovisioninitforapermanentcourt。
IntheeveningtherewasageneralassemblageofthemembersoftheconferenceatareceptiongivenbyJonkheervanKarnebeek，formerlyDutchministerofforeignaffairs，andnowfirstdelegatefromtheNetherlandstotheconference。Itwasverybrilliant，andImademanyinterestingacquaintances;but，probably，sincetheworldbegan，neverhassolargeabodycometogetherinaspiritofmorehopelessskepticismastoanygoodresult。Thoughnoonegivesloudutterancetothisfeeling，itisnonethelessdeep。Ofcourse，amongallthesedelegatesacquaintedwithpublicmenandmeasuresinEurope，thereisconsiderabledistrustoftheintentionsofRussia;and，naturally，theweaknessoftheRussianEmperoriswellunderstood，thoughallarereticentregardingit。TheonlyopenutterancesarethoseattributedtooneortwooftheolderEuropeandiplomatists，wholamentbeingsentonanerrandwhichtheyfearistobefruitless。Oneoftheseissaidtohavebewailedthismissionasasadendingtohispublicservices，andtohavedeclaredthatashehadledalonglifeofdevotiontohiscountryandtoitssovereign，hisfamilymightwelllookuponhiscareerashonorable;butthatnowheisprobablydoomedtocrownitwithanopenfailure。
May18。
Attwoo’clockintheafternoontheconferencehelditsopensessionatthe"HouseintheWood。"Thebuildingismostinteresting，presentingasitdoestheartandgeneralideasoftwohundredandfiftyyearsago;itisfullofhistoricalassociations，andthegrovesandgardensaboutitaredelightful。
ThewallsanddomeofthegreatcentralhallarecoveredwithimmensepaintingsinthestyleofRubens，mainlybyhispupils;
and，ofthese，oneoverthefrontentrancerepresentsPeacedescendingfromheaven，bearingvarioussymbolsand，apparently，enteringthehall。TothisM。deBeaufort，ourhonorarypresident，theNetherlandsministerofforeignaffairs，madeagracefulallusioninhisopeningspeech，expressingthehopethatPeace，havingenteredthehall，wouldgoforthbearingblessingstotheworld。Anotherrepresentation，whichcoversoneimmensewall，isaglorificationofvariousprincesofOrange:itisinfullfrontofme，asIsit，thePeacefrescobeingvisibleatmyleft，andalovelyviewofthegardens，andofthewaterbeyond，throughthewindowsatmyright。
The"HouseintheWood"wasbuiltearlyintheseventeenthcenturybyaprincessofthehouseofOrange，thegrandmotherofWilliamIIIofEngland。Thecentralhallunderthedome，abovereferredto，isnowfilledupwithseatsanddesks，coveredwithgreencloth，veryneatandpractical，andmainlyarrangedlikethoseinanEnglishcollegechapel。Goodfortunehasgivenmeoneofthetwobestseatsinthehouse;itbeingdirectlyinfrontofthesecretaries，whoarearrangedinasemicirclejustbelowthedeskofthepresident;atmyleftaretheothermembersofourdelegation，andfacingme，acrossthecentralaisle，isCountMunster，attheheadoftheGermandelegation。Thispieceofgoodluckcomesfromthefactthatweareseatedinthealphabeticalorderofourcountries，beginningwithAllemagne，continuingwithAmerique，andsoondownthealphabet。
Theotherlargeroomsonthemainfloorareexceedinglyhandsome，withsuperbJapaneseandChinesehangings，wroughtaboutthemiddleofthelastcenturytofitthespacestheyoccupy;onallsidesarethemostperfectspecimensofJapaneseandChinesebronzes，ivorycarvings，lacquer—work，andthelike:theseroomsaregivenuptothecommitteesintowhichthewholebodyisdivided。Up—stairsisadining—hallinwhichtheDutchGovernmentserves，everyworking—day，amostbounteouslunchtousall，andatthisthereismuchopportunityforinformaldiscussion。Nearthemainhallisasumptuoussaloon，hungroundwithinterestingportraits，oneofthembeinganadmirablelikenessofMotleythehistorian，whowasagreatfavoriteofthelateQueen，andfrequentlyherguestinthispalace。
Ourfirstsessionwasveryinteresting;thespeechbythehonorarypresident，M。deBeaufort，abovereferredto，wasineverywayadmirable，andthatbythepresident，M。deStaal，thoroughlygood。ThelatteristheRussianambassadortoLondon;
IhadalreadymethiminSt。Petersburg，andfoundhiminterestingandagreeable。Heis，nodoubt，oneoftheforemostdiplomatistsofthisepoch;butheisevidentlywithoutmuchknowledgeofparliamentaryprocedure。CongratulatorytelegramswerereceivedfromtheEmperorofRussiaandtheQueenoftheNetherlandsanddulyanswered。
May19。
Ateleveninthemorning，inoneofthelargeroomsofthehotel，thepresidentsofdelegationsmettodecideonaplanoforganizationandwork;and，sittingamongthem，Ifirstbegantohavesomehopesofagoodresult。Still，attheoutset，theprospectwasmuchbeclouded。ThoughaveryconsiderablenumberoftheforemoststatesmeninEuropewerepresent，ourdeliberationsappeared，foratime，ahopelesschaos:theunfamiliarityofourpresident，BarondeStaal，withparliamentaryusagesseemedlikelytobecomeembarrassing;butsundrystatesmen，moreexperiencedinsuchmatters，begandrawingtogether，andweresoonelaboratingaschemetobepresentedtotheentireconference。ItdividedallthesubjectsnamedintheMouravieffcircularamongthreegreatcommittees，themostimportantbeingthaton"Arbitration。"Thechoiceofrepresentativesonthesefromourdelegationwasmade，andanex—officiomembershipofallthreefallstome。
InthecourseofthedayImetandtalkedwithvariousinterestingmen，amongthemCountNigra，formerlyCavour’sprivatesecretaryandambassadoratthecourtofNapoleonIII，whereheaccomplishedsomuchforItalianunity;SirJulianPauncefote，theBritishambassadoratWashington;andM。
Bernaert，presidentoftheBelgianChamber。Intheevening，atareceptiongivenbytheministerofforeignaffairs，M。deBeaufort，Imadefurtheracquaintancesandhadinstructiveconversations。
Inadditiontothestrictdutiesoftheconference，thereis，ofcourse，amassofsocialbusiness，withnoendofvisits，calls，andspecialmeetings，tosaynothingofsocialfunctions，onalargescale，atthehousesofsundryministersandofficials;butthese，ofcourse，havetheirpracticaluses。
TheDutchGovernmentisshowingitselfprincelyinvariousways，makingeveryprovisionforourcomfortandenjoyment。
Ingeneral，Iamconsiderablyencouraged。Theskepticalfeelingwithwhichwecametogetherseemsnowpassingaway;therecentspeechoftheEmperorWilliamatWiesbadenhasarousednewhopesofafairlygoodchanceforarbitration，anditlooksasifthepromisemademejustbeforeIleftBerlinbyBaronvonBulow，thattheGermandelegationshouldcooperatethoroughlywithourown，istoberedeemed。Thatdelegationassuresusthatitisinstructedtostandbyusasfaraspossibleonalltheprincipalquestions。Itformsareallyfinebody，itsheadbeingCountMunster，whomIhavealreadyfoundveryagreeableatBerlinandParis，anditsmainauthorityinthelawofnationsbeingProfessorZorn，oftheUniversityofKonigsberg;but，curiouslyenough，asifbyawhim，thenextmanonitslistisProfessorBaronvonStengelofMunich，whohaswrittenabookAGAINST
arbitration;andnexttohimcomesColonelSchwartzhoff，saidtobeamanofremarkableabilityinmilitarymatters，butstronglyprejudicedagainsttheRussianproposals。
Astoarbitration，wecannotmakeitcompulsory，assomanyverygoodpeoplewish;itisclearthatnopowerherewouldagreetothat;buteventoprovideregularmachineryforarbitration，constantlyinthesightofallnations，andalwaysreadyforuse，wouldbeagreatgain。
Astodisarmament，itisclearthatnothingeffectivecanbedoneatpresent。TheGenevarulesforthebettercareofthewoundedonlandwillcertainlybeimprovedandextendedtowarfareonsea，andthelawsofwarwilldoubtlessbeimprovedandgivenstrongersanction。
Whetherwecangetourproposalsastoprivatepropertyonthehighseasbeforetheconferenceisuncertain;butIthinkwecan。
OurhopesarebaseduponthefactthattheyseemadmissibleunderoneheadingoftheMouravieffcircular。Thereis，ofcourse，adeterminationonthepartofleadingmemberstoexcluderigorouslyeverythingnotprovidedforintheoriginalprogramme，andthisisonlyright;for，otherwise，wemightspendyearsinfruitlessdiscussion。TheArmenians，forexample，arepressingustomakeastrongdeclarationintheirbehalf。Polandisalsoherewithproposalsevenmoreinflammatory;soaretheFinlanders;andsoaretheSouthAfricanBoers。Theirproposals，ifadmitted，wouldsimplybebombshellssuretoblowalltheleadingnationsofEuropeoutoftheconferenceandbringeverythingtonaught。
Alreadypessimistsoutsideareprophesyingthatonaccountofthesequestionswearedoomedtoutterfailure。
Thepeacepeopleofallnations，includingourown，arehereingreatforce。Ihaveacceptedaninvitationfromoneofthemtolunchwithapartyoflikemind，includingBaronessvonSuttner，whohaswrittenabrilliantbook，"DieWaffenNieder，"ofwhichthemoralisthatallnationsshallimmediatelythrowdowntheirarms。Mr。Steadisalsohere，vigorousasusual，fullofcuriousinformation，andaboundinginsuggestions。
Therewasareport，onourarriving，thattheTripleAlliancerepresentativesareinstructedtodoeverythingtobringtheconferenceintodiscredit，butthisisnowdenied。Itissaidthattheirprogrammeischanged，andthingslooklikeit。Onthewhole，thoughnooneissanguine，thereismorehope。
May21。
InthemorningwentwithDr。HollstoaWhitsundayserviceatthegreatoldchurchhere。Therewasacrowd，impressivechorals，andasermonatleastanhourlong。Atourrequest，weweregivenadmirableplacesintheorgan—loft，andsatatthesideoftheorganistashemanagedthatnobleinstrument。Itwassublime。
AftertheclosingvoluntaryHollsplayedremarkablywellTomethemoststrikingfeatureintheservicewasaveryearnestprayermadebytheclergymanfortheconference。DuringtheafternoonwealsovisitedtheoldprisonneartheVijver，wheretheDeWittsandothereminentprisonersofstatewereconfined，andinfrontofwhichtheformerweretorninpiecesbythemob。
Sadlyinterestingwasacollectionofin...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：