In the debate on the Address in the Lords Lord
Kimberley severely criticised the way in which the Government had conducted the war. The present state of affairs in South Africa, he declared, filled him with apprehension. His con- tention was that our generals had not been provided with a sufficient supply of mounted men and of the appliances of war. In bringing the war to a successful issue and in reforming our military system the Government would get every help from the Opposition. Lord Salisbury, in reply, pointed out that the campaign was not unusually pro- longed. Though Lord Kimberley's impatience was natural, he did not believe there was any ground either for discontent or apprehension. But no final judgment could be passed on the war previous to a full inquiry. Lord Salisbury ended his speech by deprecating in very strong terms the conduct of those who encouraged the Boers by their injudicious utterances. " These fanatics, we know, are not nearly so numerous as they are noisy, and we do not mind their criticism. But it does impress a certain number of people at the other end of the world with the idea that the English people are not whole-hearted in the object which they are pursuing. As long as that impression continues, and they are induced to believe that there is an important party moving for them in this country, I fear that they will have a very powerful motive to continue that insane resist- ance which promises no hope to them and nothing but desola- tion and misery to their country." That is, of course, per- fectly true, but it is a result of free speech which we fear is inevitable. But inconvenient as often are the effects of free speech when indulged in by irresponsible people, the evils and inconveniences of restriction or suppression are infinitely greater.
