A DEFENCE OF THE WAR.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 3130, 9 December 1899, Page 3

A DEFENCE OF THE WAR.

Referring to a letter from Mr Selous, appearing m the Times, Mr Chamberlain said: — " I have great reapect for Mr Selouß, although I do not know him personally. In his letter there was an 'if.' He said • If you go forward with any view of crushing out a northern people you will be raising for yourself the same difficulties which beset you m the time of the rebellion of ths North American colonies, and there will be the same cqnsequencea — you will lose South Africa. ' If that is the hypothetical argument, I answer that history has shown conclusively that one great Teutonic people cannot hold m subjection another Teutonic people. But who talks of it ? — Have we not learned the lesson of our American colonies ? Has it been our course m recent years, not only with regard to Teutonic, but any people ? Is that the way m which we have endeavoured to hold Canada F la that the wny m which we are now holding Cape Colony ? Does anyone pretend that the Dutch m Cape Colony are crushed by our rute over them, when they have every right which Englishmen enjoy m their own country ; crushed when they are allowed, as we are accustomed to allow, rebels to talk of us without interference m individual cases ? Is that crushing out a people ? No, air, and 1 ask what reason is there to say that when the caae of the Transvaal or the Orange Free State comes to be dealt with, it will be different ? Does anyone imagine— whatever may be the result of the war, and mmy opinion it is so far absolutely premature to talk about reßulta— that we shall fail to do to In this matter what we claim for ourselves, or refnae to the Dutch that equality of rights m the Transvaal wbicb the Dutch have denied to U3 ? I have said that war m my opinion had become inevitable, because m this matter there has been a struggle between two great principles. The importance of these brinciples is not to be measured merely by their relation to our position m Africa, but they are to be considered m connection with the fact that it is upon the assertion of these principles that our Empire is what it is, aod can only remain what it is."