that  the  conquest  is  to  be  condemned,  I  think  we  ought  to
arrive  at  a  more  clear  and  decided  view  than  seems  now
prevalent  as  to  the  validity  of  a  formal  cession  of  territory-
imposed  by  wrongful  force :  and  I  am  of  opinion  that,  in
the  case  supposed,  it  ought  not  to  be  taken  to  bind  the
vanquished  to  more  than  a  complete  temporary  suspension
of  hostilities,  terminable  at  any  time  by  the  wronged  State,
under  the  same  condition  under  which  the  rebellion  of  an
admittedly  oppressed  section  of  a  State  would  be  generally
judged  to  be  legitimate : — i.e.  if  circumstances  afforded  a
reasonable  prospect  of  success.  We  must,  at  the  same  time,
distinctly  recognise  that  by  this  temporary  submission  of
the  vanquished — whether  express  or  tacit — a  new  political
order  is  initiated,  which,  though  originally  without  a  moral
basis,  may  in  time  acquire  such  a  basis,  from  a  change  in
the  sentiments  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  territory  trans-
ferred :  since  it  is  always  possible  that  through  the  effect
of  time  and  habit  and  mild  government, — and  perhaps  the
voluntary  exile  of  those  who  feel  the  old  patriotism  most
keenly, — the  majority  of  the  transferred  population  may
cease  to  desire  re-union  to  the  State  from  which  they  were
torn  away.  When  this  change  has  taken  place,  the  moral
effect  of  the  unjust  transfer  must  be  regarded  as  obliterated :
so  that  any  attempt  to  recover  the  transferred  territory
becomes  itself  an  aggression : — though,  of  course,  there  may
be  a  long  period  during  which  the  preponderant  sentiment
of  the  transferred  population  is  doubtful,  and  the  right  and
wrong  of  a  war  for  the  recovery  of  the  lost  territory  is
correspondingly  obscure.
