Politics have been quiet for the last ten days, but
the Conservatives did manage to get up a blood-and-thunder meet- ing at Frome yesterday week, at which Lord Henry Thynne took the chair, and in which Lord Henry Thymic said that while with the last Government we had peace with honour, we had now war with dishonour. Probably the saying as to honour and dishonour meant nothing, except party rancour, but it is difficult to understand in what respect the war of the pre- sent Government can be contrasted with the peace of the last Government. Neither Government made war in Europe. The Tories invaded Afghanistan for reasons which the Liberals thought disgraceful, while the Liberals have now invaded Egypt for reasons which the Tories think sufficient. Is that a con- trast between "peace with honour, and war with dishonour P" Colonel King-Harman also made a speech, in which he declared that the outrages in Ireland existed " because a Radical Govern- ment had decreed that murder and outrage should be backed up at the expense of honest men." The outrages in Ireland, however, were growing rapidly before this Government came into office. Indeed, Lord Beaconsfield described the state of Ireland at that time as one of "veiled rebellion." Nor does the Crime Prevention Act look much like the backing-up of "murder and outrage" by 'a Radical Government. Conservatives would do better to keep their heads, than to indulge in silly ravings of this kind.
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