Men doubt sometimes the genius of M. Thiers for foreign
affairs, but he certainly had a rare insight into the position of foreign States. In January, 1871, he told his friends that they were all at sea as to the resources of Great Britain; which he maintained had in India a separate reserve of strength, and ventured upon this most remarkable prophecy : —" Whenever England is in conflict with a foreign Power Europe will see her Colonies rally round and co-operate with her. Without the slightest expense to her they will equip their soldiers, their only ambition being to show their close union with her and to demonstrate that their strength and energy are at her disposal just as her enormous resources are at theirs. I predict this in spite of your smile of incredulity, and although perhaps none of us will live to witness it." At this moment a force of Colonial troops, invaluable in quality and by no means inconsiderable in numbers, is fighting for the Queen in South Africa. There was probably at the time no man in Europe, England included, who shared in M. Thiers's acute prevision.
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