THE TRANS VAAL CONSTITUTION. [TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."]
Sin,—The following is an extract from your article on the Transvaal Constitution (Spectator, April 29th) :— " We have proved again and again in the past that the more complete the self-government of a Colony—that is, the more complete its nationhood within the Empire—the more loyal it is to that Empire, and the more helpful in time of stress and peril. Speaking, of course, only of white communities of British or kindred race, we feel certain that the way to banish disloyalty is to give unfettered self-government. In cases where symptoms of disloyalty to the Empire have appeared, we would not wait for that disloyalty to disappear before we gave responsible govern- ment, but instead would use responsible government as the medicine for restoring loyalty. Look what happened in Canada, in Australia, and in New Zealand. Before responsible government was given there was plenty of talk about 'cutting the painter.' A generation of self-government and nationhood has banished such talk altogether."
Would you behind enough to enlighten a faddist for political honesty as to hoi such opinions are reconcilable with those you hold (and periodically ventilate) on the subject of Irish self-government am, Sir, &c., Eo nesse.
[We gladly accede to our correspondent's request. The United Kingdom is, in our opinion, a unit, and already
possesses self-government; and we would no more break it up into lesser self-governing units than the people of New Zealand would break up New Zealand, or the people of Massachusetts their commonwealth. It may be remembered that during the controversy over the Home-rule Bills the Irish Nationalists illustrated the fact that there must be an irreducible unit of government. Though they asked for Home-rule for Ireland, they refused to yield it to Belfast and the North-East of Ulster, on the ground that they would not consent to the breaking up of Ireland. We will not consent to the breaking up of the United Kingdom.—ED. Spectator.]
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