The consideration of a subject like “Sovereignty” leads a man, who has had little cause to study such questions in the abstract, into an unwonted field of thought, where he finds himself involved in a maze of theories, which, in their application at least, are confusing on account of the different premises and concepts upon which they rest.

I realize that it is more or less presumptuous for a layman in political science to enter this field of philosophy with the purpose of contributing anything to the general knowledge of a subject, into which many of those here present have gone much further and much deeper than I have been or can ever expect to go in the formulation and application of a correct definition. Having, however, in a moment of unwisdom set my hand to the plow I will not look back, nor will I offer apology for what I have to say on the ground that it will be the utterance of inexperience, warranted as I would be in making such a plea.