Mr. Bryce, addressing his constituents at Aberdeen on Tuesday, declared
that it was a public duty to state the other side of the case in regard to the war, and repelled the imputation of want of patriotism in those who condemned the diplomacy that brought on the war. That is of course per- fectly sound, but we cannot admit that the protest was needed. As far as we have observed, none of the supporters of the Government whose opinions deserve attention have ever described fair and honest criticism, however strong or damaging, as unpatriotic. We, for example, have repeatedly insisted—and without any protest from other quarters—that such criticism, however much mistaken in fact, is in its nature and intention not only not unpatriotic but essentially patriotic. It is no doubt tempting for Opposition speakers to hint that they are Barkes and Col:dens valiantly facing the world "amid the din of arms and the clamours of a venal Press," but it is hardly justified considering the perfectly courteous reception which has been accorded to the exponents of the Boer case.
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