Lord Rosebery was almost as facetious about Mr. Chamber- lain's
visit to Scotland, as if he had been a dull Scotchman, proud of a single joke, of which he was determined to make the most exhaustive use. Mr. Chamberlain was declared to be chief mourner at the funeral of Scotch Liberal Unionism ; and on this brilliant conception Lord Rosebery harped till even Scotchmen must have been sensible that the merriment was being pumped up with a forcing-pump. When he could tear himself from this beloved theme, Lord Rosebery an- nounced that Sir William Harcourt was preparing for publica- tion a history of the Round-Table negotiations, and then turned angrily on the Ulstermen, whose position he wholly misrepresented. What the Ulstermen say is, that they are not afraid to hold their own in Ireland, if they are to be free to assert themselves without the interference of the British Army to hold them down while the Parnellites do with them what they will. They infinitely prefer Irish independence,. to Irish Home-rule with British interference to disarm them. Lord Rosebery taunted them with their pretended fear of the Nationalists. They do not fear the Nationalists. But they fear having to cope with the Nationalists with their hands tied behind their backs. Lord Rosebery made little attempt to be impartial. Indeed, his speech gives the idea of his having resolved to let men see that he could be a thorough and even narrow-minded partisan.
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