On Tuesday Sir Redvers Buller, having obtained the leave of
the War Office, sent to the Press the full text of the Colenso heliograms. It would be painful, and is fortunately unnecessary, to dwell at length upon the incident, but we must point out that the text confirms the statements which last autumn seemed to many men quite incredible. Here are the bare facts. General Buller after Colenso (1) telegraphed to the War Office: "I consider I ought to let Ladysmith go and to occupy good position for the defence of South Natal, and so let time help Us"; (2) heliographed to Sir George How many days can you hold out P I suggest your firing away as much ammunition as you can and making best terms you can." The full context makes these expressions sound a little less impossible, but does not in any sense alter their meaning. Disagreeable as it is to record such facts, it is nothing but pure pleasure to notice the truly admirable reply made by Sir George White to Sir Redvers Buller. Sir George appears in the strange position of a general besieged and in great peril soothing and sustaining the commander of a force outside which was in no jeopardy, and whose raison d'être was to help and relieve the besieged garrison. "Things may look brighter. The loss of twelve thousand men here would be a heavy blow to England. We must not think of it yet." So speaks Sir George White, and every man who reads will feel his heart warm at the words of this brave and courteous soldier,—a true knight-errant in spirit.
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