The three basic values of all social life, without which it cannot exist, and which any international order should seek to protect, were cogently summarized by the late Hedley Bull in his magisterial book The Anarchical Society as: first, to secure life against violence which leads to death or bodily harm second, that promises once made are kept third that, ” the possession of things will remain stable to some degree and will not be subject to challenges that are constant and without limit.”Įmpires–which for our purposes can be simply defined as “multiethnic conglomerates held together by transnational organizational and cultural ties”–have historically both maintained peace and promoted prosperity for a simple reason. This is akin to maintaining order in social life. The major argument in favor of empires is that, through their pax, they provide the most basic of public goods–order–in an anarchical international society of states. This example provides both the major justification that can be provided for empires, while the reasons for Gladstone’s refusal provide the main and still resonant arguments against empire. Gladstone demurred, and Germany snapped up the offer instead. Please to send us an answer as quick as you can. No doubt God will bless you for putting a light in our country. We are quite willing to abolish all our heathen customs. We heard that you are a good Christian man, so we hope that you will do all you can in your power to see that our request is granted. Do, Sir, for mercy sake, please to assist us in this important undertaking. Do for mercy sake please lay our request before the Queen and to the rulers of the British Government. We are tired of governing this country ourselves, every dispute leads to war, and often to great loss of lives, so we think it is best thing to give up the country to you British men who no doubt will bring peace, civilization, and Christianity in the country. We want our country to be governed by British Government. As we heard here that you are the chief man in the House of Commons, so we write to tell you that we want to be under Her Majesty’s control. We both your servants have met this afternoon to write you these few lines of writing trusting it may find you in a good state of life as it leaves us at present. I would like to begin this lecture in the defense of empires by quoting from a letter that King Bell and King Acqua of the Cameroons River, West Africa, wrote on November 6, 1881, to William Gladstone the Liberal Prime Minister of the UK: Empires have undeservedly got a bad name, particularly in America since President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the end of the Age of Empires and ushered in the Age of Nations.
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