Proceedings of the first Independence congress : held in the city of Manila, Philippine islands, February 22-26, 1930 / Published under the direction of Dean maximo M. Kalaw, executive secretary, University of the Philippines.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SECTION 213

As has already been said the recognition of the independence
of a new state by the other powers is equivalent to its ratification, which state from then acquires the fulness of the right
and obligations inherent in every free, sovereign, and independent nation. Once recognized its independence, the new
nation acquires the fundamental rights inherent to all sovereign countries which are the rights to the existence, independence, proper conservation, property, jurisdiction, equality
and sovereignty, and the establishing of relations with other
powers.
The recognition of a new nation may be accomplished under
diverse conditions. In the first place we have the recognition
and admission of the old countries which have been independent
since very remote ages. Switzerland, which had obtainedits
independence from the Hapsburgs in the fourteenth century, and
Holland, which had been independent since the sixteenth century, were recognized and admitted as sovereign nations by the
Powers of Europe at the Congress of Westphalia in 1648.
Russia, which established itself as an independent nation in the
fifteenth century, was recognized and equally admitted by the
other Powers of Europe in the international concert in 1721.
Japan, which for many centuries had been having an independent life, was only recognized as a member of the Great
Family of Civilized Nations in 1899, when the Christian
Powers abolished their Consular Tribunals which were established in that Empire for the protection of the rights and
interests of their subjects and citizens. The Ottoman Empire,
which had enjoyed real independence for several centuries and
was threatened by all Europe for many years, was only admitted by the Great Powers to the benefits and advantages of
the Public Laws of Europe in the year 1856 in the Congress
of Paris. Persia and China, independent countries since very
remote antiquity, were only officially recognized by the Powers
of Europe, in the year 1907, as members of the Great Family
of free and independent states.
In the second place, there may be born a new state from
the division of territories of a nation whose independence and
sovereignty have previously been recognized; and this division