hrist, civilization was already far advanced and influenced by the
wide humanitarian ideas, more ancient still, of the Assyrians and the
Buddhists.

Every one who reflects will understand that the relativity of the
rights of groups in man and that of the duties which correspond to
them, must in time expand and be applied, little by little, to all the
human inhabitants of the earth. What is more difficult is the
definition of what should be understood under the term of humanity,
capable of being socialized and cultivated.

No doubt, the gap which exists between the lowest living human race
and the highest ape is considerable and without direct transition.
However, we gradually begin to recognize, on the one hand, that we
have certain duties toward animals, at least toward those which serve
us, and, on the other hand, we know that certain of the lower human
races, such as the pigmies, the Veddas and even the Negroes, are
inaccessible to a higher civilization, and especially incapable by
themselves of maintaining what a number of their individuals learn by
training when they live among us. We shall, therefore, have to choose
finally between the gradual extinction of these races or that of our
own.

It is not my business to deal with this question here, to trace the
limits of civilizable humanity, or to examine the rights and duties of
civilized men to each other relatively to the rest of the living
world; or, in other words, to what extent civilized man should have
the relative right of subjecting other living beings, exploiting them
in his own interests, nourishing them, or eventually exterminating
them for the safety of his own existence.

As regards the animal and vegetable kingdoms, from the amoeba to the
orang-utan, the question is simple enough and settled. It is much more
difficult to decide for men and for peoples separated from us by great
racial differences. I must emphasize the profoundness of this
difference. It is evident that the higher cultivated races, or rather
blends of races, which live to-day will do better to live in peace
than to mutually exterminate each other.

It is necessary to discuss these questions at the risk of hurting the
feelings of sentimental persons. But what is the use of being blind to
such patent facts? It is not too soon to look closely into the future,
and it is only thus that we can arrive at any useful result. The
natural rights of man should evolve more and more from a comp