The Cape Parliament met on Friday, but no account of
its proceedings will be received here in time for our comments. No doubt there will be a great deal of heated talk, and accusations of tyranny on the one side, and of treason on the other, will be bandied about by the rival parties. We trust, however, that public opinion here will be wise enough and fair enough to make every possible allowance for the position of extreme difficulty in which the Dutch Afrikanders are placed, and will not insist upon driving them into the position of rebels,—a position which they do not really in the least desire to occupy. It is mischievous nonsense to talk as if it were treason to take a different side from Sir Alfred Milner on a political subject. We think Sir Alfred Milner's view right, and Mr. Hofmeyr and Mr. Schreiner to be entirely in the wrong, and in the'last resort shall be quite prepared to enforce the right view by force of arms, but the notion of the crime of lese-majesto being involved in criticisms on or censures of Sir Alfred Milner is utterly preposterous.
