in him may be so paralysed as to render his situation intolerable
to a high-minded man and to weaken his hands fatally for any
purpose of good.

_July 29, 1880._--It was not without some differences of opinion
among themselves that, upon their accession to office, the cabinet
arrived at the conclusion that, if there was a prospect of
progress in the great matter of confederation, this might afford a
ground of co-operation between them and Sir B. Frere,
notwithstanding the strong censures which many of them in
opposition had pronounced upon his policy. This conclusion gave
the liveliest satisfaction to a large portion, perhaps to the
majority, of the House of Commons; but they embraced it with the
more satisfaction because of your Majesty's warm regard for Sir B.
Frere, a sentiment which some among them personally share.

It was evident, however, and it was perhaps in the nature of the
case, that a confidence thus restricted was far from agreeable to
Sir B. Frere, who, in the opinion of Mr. Gladstone, has only been
held back by a commendable self-restraint and sense of duty, from
declaring himself aggrieved. Thus, though the cabinet have done
the best they could, his standing ground was not firm, nor could
they make it so. But the total failure of the effort made to
induce the Cape parliament to move, has put confederation wholly
out of view, for a time quite indefinite, and almost certainly
considerable. Mr. Gladstone has therefore the painful duty of
submitting to your Majesty, on behalf of the Cabinet, the enclosed
copy of a ciphered telegram of recall.

II

The breaking of the military power of the Zulus was destined to prove much
less important than another proceeding closely related to it, though not
drawing the same attention at the moment. I advise the reader not to
grudge a rather strict regard to the main details of transactions that,
owing to unhappy events of later date, have to this day held a conspicuous
place in the general controversy as to the great minister's statesmanship.

For some time past, powerful native tribes had been slowly but steadily
pushing the Boers of the Transvaal back, and the inability to resist was
now dangerously plain. In 1876 the Boers had been worsted in one of their
incessant struggles with the native races, and this time they had barely
been able to hold their own again