The Wanganui Chronicle AND RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, AUGUST 24th, 1901. THE SPLIT IN THE HOME LIBERALS

Wanganui Chronicle, 24 August 1901, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle AND RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. SATURDAY, AUGUST 24th, 1901. THE SPLIT IN THE HOME LIBERALS

The latest ne^vs from Home docs not suggest the possiblity of any welding up of the broken ranks of tho Liberals. To all in' enta and purposes, as an effective political organisation, the party has ceased to ex'isv. It is true that Sir Henry Camp-bell-Banncrman ihas endeavoured to fit the pieces together, and that the weight of his influence has overborne the momentary flash of ImpCTalistic independence manifested by Mr. Asquith. The attempt at reunion has, however, been made upon a bisia which willnoC stand the crucial test of logical analysis.. It is all very wel! to say "Let us agree to differ where we cannot agree," which is virtually the rallying cry of tine despondent leaders of tSie party, but whei^i the differences concern the most critical question of the hour a harmonious understanding in regard to matters of secondary importance constitutes at the best but a poor bond of unity. The tmth is that there are too* many pronounced pro-Boers in the ranks of the Liberal party, and although for political purposes the Imperialistic section of the Liberals may volunteer to toleiate the company of these seditious gentleman, the conntiy will kive none of them. To seek to avoid the vital issue is useless. Sir Heniy Campbey-Banjierman, in effect, argues that the Liberals who believe in the good faith of the Boers must not seek to impeach the good faith of the Liberals who hold strong opinions of the tactics of Mr Kruger and his advisers. Lord Rosebery, on the other !hamd, has plainly condemned ihis attitude as impossible. "Tha whole Empire," he tajd in the manifesto which ho forwarded to the City Lib2l-.il Club last month, "has rallied U> the war," and in the face of that fact he asserts that the attkude of "neutiality and an opsn mind," wh:db> he asserts is the attitude of tho party, is an impossible one, and one which only spells impotenence. "No party," said Lord Rosebery, can exist on fitch conditions. The area of compierension is too wide. On this question it embraces tho human.race. And ihis qusstlon is vital, morally and politically. Morally. Eithea- the war is just or unjust, either tho methods aae uncivilised' or legi-

timate. If the war be unjust, aim is methods uncivilised, our Government and our naidon are ' criminal, and the war should bo stopped at any cost. If ... 0 war bo just, carried on by means which are necessar and lawful, it is our duty to support it with all our laigH in .order to bring it to a j>n»npt and suceeisjifu! conclusion. These are supreme issues; notie greater ever divided two hos ile paities. How, then, can one party agree to differ on them? Cavaliers and Rounheads mig-ht almost as w#l.l have combined on the b:isig of each w.ais'^Miipg their different opinions on the pr.licjr of Sharks I. Lord Rosrbery does not concur with'jl-hos.' wlir. think that politically thi? diifcj-cn.-s en the question of the w.n- is a hv.iiMi'nt c-nc, and that it will eisa t;i .ip»nite hlioh alie n:ir !( j oy.-r ":i',:..i,r« ulio ?n:, ii-.iiii these- linpcii tiio«- n.-t the stomach -if tliis people ' Fox. I su^.)*.-. i,.»i,,i.sl.ed the saoie illusipn .jvhon he opjju^d the gvoafc war with jF.ra-nje. B-.it in spite of \ his vast bbjlit-.es .'.jkl "his jtph.ridul chain., : ! he split Ills party (r.et;iiiiiiy only a fraction by his side), wai excluded it from p<wer for nearly f< j-ty yen-rs. Tho .1 ruth is that state.?m?n who disassociate tliemselvos from the nation in a national question, suoii Rs var, in which all ft/rive :ind .suffer together, disassociate themselves for much longer than they think That is 11 consideration u-'jirh should not w«i^h for an instant against conviction. Uii* it is one which should not b? forgotten by politicians who do ncit desire to »«• (lie Government of this country fall permanently into the bunds of their opponents, and the indefinite postpoi ement of their .own domestic policy." Important as is »tlie «?ffect of the war upon the condition ■of tlie party, the .self-retired leader of that •parly -jiwintv out that the severance is uiju

not simply on that issue, but "a sincere, fundamental, and incurable antagonism of principle with regard to the Empire at large and our consequent policy. One school, blind as I think to the developments of tlie world, is avowedly insular; the otheu places at the first' article of its creed the responsibilities and maintenance of our free and beneficent Empire. Take, for example, Sir Wilifrid Lawson and Sir Edward Grey, both honoured names in Liberalism. Both hold with intense conviction opinions on foreign and Imperial policy which cannot by any conceivable compromise bs reconciled. And yet the party is to unite* on the recognition and toleration of both. Now a party cannot be conducted on tho principles of Istachar. It cannot, at any rate, contain these two s-chools of thought and reman an efficient instrument." Lord Rosebery's utterances bscome all the more forcible when it is remembered that he made them under circumstances which free him from the slightest wispioion of pn-ronal motive. In 1896 ho laid down the leadership of the Liberal party with the hope rather than the expectation of promoting its unity, and he has now declared his intention never to voluntarily return to the field of party politics. Consequently he speaks with absolute independence, and with the one and only object of doing service to the Empire and to the party for which he has sacrificed so much.