Men being placed in life in close juxtaposition to each other, the struggles of each man to advance his own interests produce rivalries, jealousies, and conflicts.
Similarly with nations.

Nations have been composed for the most part of people having an heredity more or less common to them all, so that they are bound together as great clans.

From this it has resulted that nations have been jealous of each other and have combated each other.

They have been doing this since history began, and are doing it as much as ever now.
In fact, mankind have been in existence for so many centuries, and their physical, moral, mental, and spiritual characteristics were so evidently implanted in them by the Almighty, that it seems difficult to see how any one, except the Almighty himself, can change these characteristics and their resulting conduct.

It is a common saying that a man cannot lift himself over the fence by his boot straps, though he can jump over the fence, if it is not too high.