Page:The Peace League of George Poděbrad, King of Bohemia.pdf/16

 this, quite naturally, was the reason why the Pope opposed the creation of the federation and, indeed, in the long run by means of his diplomatic intrigues he even succeeded in preventing its realization.

The members of the league entirely give up their right to wage war independently, and the right to decide for or against war or peace is conferred upon the confederation. All members of the league unconditionally take the obligation not to wage war amongst themselves whatever their conflicts and quarrels may be, the decision only and solely rests with the organs of the league. But, on the other hand, the confederation protects its members against attacks on the part of states not being members of the league. For, the league tries at first to settle an eventual conflict between a member and a foreign country in a friendly way, but then it protects its member with all might. Finally the federation endeavours to prevent also wars between states not being members of the league, even without being invited to do so, and in case this intervention does not succeed, the confederation participates in the war for the sake of the opponents who showed himself willing to desist from waging war and to submit to the decision of the league.

At the same time, the federation also acts as a kind of Public Peace Association or League, for all its members are bound to punish with the utmost severity all those who trespass on public order and public peace, and trespassers, whoever they may be, are not to find protection anywhere, neither from their princes nor from their subjects. And those who would protect and shield such trespassers would incur the same punishment as they themselves.

And the prince who would not take care that such trespassers be punished, would be considered himself a trespasser of public peace.

The principal organ of the Peace Federation is to be an AsseemblyAssembly [sic] {collegium, corpus, university, congregation) which has to take place at first in Bâle and which later on, from five to five years, shall successively be transferred to all federated countries. On those assemblies all interested countries are represented by plenipotentiaries who, however, are dependent upon the will of their princes against which they cannot act.

The vote is given according to nationalities, so that all princes of one and the same nation—as for instance the French, German, Italian and eventually the Spanish nation—form one group with only one vote. Within each such national group each prince has one vote, all princes being equal; and the majority of votes within each national group decides as to the vote of the nation