But  Vattel  goes  on  to  justify  the  then  current  doctrine
of  protection  on  the  ground  that  there  is  no  duty  to  buy,  though
there  may  be  to  sell :  "  Tout  etat,  par  consequent,  est  en  droit  de
defendre  Fentree  des  marchandises  etrangeres  ;  et  les  peuples
que  cette  defense  interesse  n'ont  aucun  droit  de  s'en  plaindre,
pas  meme  comme  si  on  leur  eut  refuse  un  office  d'humanite."
We  may  seriously  doubt  if  Vattel's  premises  will  stand  the  strain
of  this  argument. His  earlier  argument  of  equal  and  reciprocal
rights  and  duties  seems  inconsistent  with  a  policy  that  tends  to
shut  a  nation  out  from  its  family  obligations. However,  the
jurist  feels  no  doubt  on  the  subject :


600  VATTEL

"  Comme  done  il  appartient  a  chaque  nation  de  voir  si  elle  veut
exercer  le  commerce  avec  une  autre,  ou  si  elle  ne  le  veut  pas,  et
a  quelles  conditions  elle  le  veut,  si  une  Nation  a  souffert  pendant
quelques  temps  qu'une  autre  vint  commercer  dans  son  pays,  elle
demeure  libre  d'interdire  quand  il  lui  plaira  ce  commerce,  de  le
restreindre,  de  1'assujettlr  a  certaines  regies,  et  le  peuple  qui
1'exercait  ne  peut  se  plaindre  qu'on  lui  fasse  uiie  injustice."

This  no  doubt  is  an  excellent  statement  of  the  condition  of
things  with  which  Vattel  the  diplomatist  had  to  deal,  but  to  derive
or  attempt  to  derive  such  a  condition  from  the  laws  of  nature  as
they  obtain  among  moral  beings  seems  more  interesting  than
convincing. Few  persons  can  doubt  that  protection  is  an  inter-
ference, possibly  a  heaven-sent  interference,  with  the  laws  of
nature,  with  the  law  of  supply  and  demand. However,  Vattel
was  desirous  of  discussing  commercial  treaties,  and  it  was  perhaps
natural  to  justify  their  existence. As  soon  as  a  Government  has
provided  for  national  necessities  and  insured  plenty,  the  second
purpose  of  its  being,  that  of  procuring  the  true  happiness  of  the
nation,  comes  into  sight. To  secure  national  happiness  the
sovereign  must  instruct  and  enlighten  the  people. The  education
of  youth  is  one  of  the  most  important  matters  for  the  attention
of  the  Government. Vattel's  foresight  in  this  question  is  very
remarkable. He  foresaw,  indeed,  in  his  shrewd,  kindly  way  the
whole  social  struggle  of  the  nineteenth  century. He  was  not  to  be
blinded  by  the  talk  of  the  sacredness  of  preserving  intact  the
sense  of  parental  duty. 