No doubt when the dread of a native rising is
in the air the difficulties of the Imperial Government are greatly increased, for in practice they cannot say : "Remember that the responsi- bility is entirely yours, and if, by persisting in action which we consider injudicious, you provoke troubles with the natives, you must not expect any help from us." Everybody knows that if a native rising occurs, and white blood is shed, we must use our whole Imperial force to put down the rising, whatever may be its originating cause. Thus the existence of a great native population on the one hand, and the presence of Imperial troops on the other, are in a certain sense bound, whether we like it or no, to increase Imperial responsibility, and to derogate from that absolute local responsibility which we all desire should be the rule of the Empire, and which is without difficulty established as the rule in Canada and Australia.
