We have now no need, and certainly no desire, to
justify ourselves for what many of our readers, we fear, thought our cruel and unjustifiable treatment of General Buller last autumn; but one more word must be said. How is it possible that the Government after they knew of these telegrams (1) should have kept General Buller in command at Chieveley ; (2) should have allowed him to command in the campaigns of the following spring and summer; (3) should have sent him back to Aldershot; and (4) should have given him the command of the First Army Corps, though they were pledged only to appoint a man competent to take the field in the case of war ? We have been forced to write of him once again as we have written because Sir Redvers Buller insisted on the publication of the despatches, but we sincerely hope that we have now heard the last of the whole episode. No doubt Sir Redvers Buller's friends may make the Government look foolish by rubbing in their extraordinary conduct in continuing to repose confidence in Sir Redvers Buller's military capacity, but to do so cannot help, nay, rather can only do further injury to Sir Redvers. The only dignified course is silence. Sir Redvers is personally a brave soldier, but he had entirely lost the power to command in the field. He could not be expected to admit this himself, but the moment the Govern- ment became aware of the fact they should have taken the necessary action.
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