27 JANUARY 1900, Page 19

With one portion of Mr. Morley's speech we are to

a great extent in agreement,—we mean that dealing with Mr. Rhodes and the way in which be has again and again demoralised and misled public opinion here. But Mr. Morley must not forget that he and his late colleagues share the blame in regard to the criminal folly with which the Imperial Government has allowed itself to be led by the great blunderer and blusterer of South Africa. It was the Government of which Mr. Morley was one of the chief members who made Mr. Rhodes a Privy Councillor. It was Mr. Morley and his colleagues who, at Mr. Rhodes's request, sent back Lord Rosmead to the Cape, though Lord Rosmead was obviously disqualified by his connection with Mr. Rhodes's companies :—that Lord Rosmead did so well during the Raid does not alter the the fact that his appointment was made by the Government at the bidding of Mr. Rbodes. Mr. Morley has, of course, a perfect right to speak out against Mr. Rhodes in spite of this, and we hope he will do so with all his force, but he must not imply, as be seems to do, that it is the present Government alone which is responsible for the growth of Mr. Rhodes's power and influence. The present Government has acted most unwisely in following Mr. Rhodes's advice, and in con- tinning to tolerate the Company which is the pivot of his power, and we have never hesitated to say so; but the blame which is shared by the late Government in a great, if not in an equal degree, must not be ignored by Mr. Morley. That this war is not in any sense Mr. Rhodes's war we readily admit, bat we trust most sincerely that he will not be allowed to dictate the terms upon which the final settlement shall be made. We say this not because we are afraid of his being

too pro-British, but because he would be far more likely to do " deal " with the Bond.