It is always a pleasure to read a speech by
Sir Henry Fowler on Imperial affairs, for he never fails to show not only a sane and sound appreciation of the Empire and its needs, but also that true liberal spirit which is the very life- breath of the British Empire. His speech at Wolverhampton on Thursday was an excellent example of what we mean. After pointing out how the original quarrel between the English and the Dutch races in South Africa had turned upon the ill-treatment of the natives by the Dutch, and describing the Jameson Raid as "one of the greatest outrages ever committed," be scouted the notion that this was a capitalists' war. Sir Henry Fowler went on to deal with the terms of settlement, and we are glad to see practically endorsed the four essential points as regards the ultimate arrangements in the Free State and Transvaal which we have endeavoured to keep before our readers. We must establish al the supremacy of the Queen throughout South Africa,—i.e., the Boer States must come wit/dm the Empire; (2) equal rights for all white men ; (3) self-government on the widest basis, but so as to prevent any racial ascendency ; (1) provisions to secure the just and humane treatment of the natives. Sir Henry Fowler ended a quite ad- mirable speech by an indignant repudiation of the notion that Empire, as we use the word, means an Empire like that of Casar or Napoleon, and by a defence of Liberal Imperialism. He is quite right. The two things are essentially connected. There can be no permanence in our Imperialism unless it is infused in the widest sense with the spirit of Liberalism. The moment the great structure of the Empire ceases to be infused by that spirit it must fall into decay and ruin.
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