THE QUEEN'S CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN TROOPS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—The Queen as a special mark of her favour to her troops fighting in South Africa is going to give them chocolate. You suggest in the Spectator of November 25th, that if there are any tins of this chocolate "over" you trust they will be given to the Boer wounded and prisoners. Surely this would be making a farce of the whole proceeding. It is not chiefly or solely chocolate that the Queen is giving to her soldiers ; that may be a very good food, and by all means let rations of it be given to the Boer wounded ; but what has that to do with the Queen's affecting personal gift of her own portrait to her own countrymen to show she is thinking of them in their time of stress and danger ? I have read the Spectator ever since I could read anything, and so generally agree with everything it says, that I am distressed at its advice on this subjebt, which seems to me philanthropy run mad and throwing itself under the Juggernaut car of universal sentimentality. Let these cases at least go to the Queen's subjects who love and reverence her.—I am, Sir, &c., Rua. A. LACAITA.
Selham House, Pet worth, November 25th.
[Our emphatic correspondent forgets that the Boers are going to become, though it may not be for many months, the subjects of the Queen. They cannot learn too early that neither the Queen nor the people of this country bear any ill will to our brave enemies. We have got to conquer them, and we, at any rate, shall shed no "tears of sensibility" over the process, but we have also got to live with them after they are conquered and have become our fellow-citizens within the Empire.—ED. Spectator.]
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