t fear has hung over us."
Upon this the premier comments: "It is true that the Governor, when
asked by Sir George White to give his opinion, pointed out the serious
political consequences which might follow the evacuation of Dundee.
But as far as Ladysmith was concerned the abandonment or evacuation of
that town was never, to my knowledge, even hinted at. For two years or
more previous to the outbreak of the war, Ladysmith had been made the
principal military station in Natal; large quantities {p.183} of
commissariat stores and ammunition had been accumulated there; and the
troops stationed at Ladysmith, comprising the larger portion of the
Natal garrison, had been permanently hutted instead of being retained
under canvas. Of one fact I am certain, and that is that no suggestion
of any kind was ever made to the Government of Natal that, for
military or any other reasons, it was undesirable that Ladysmith
should be defended."

Intrinsically, therefore, Ladysmith presented strong claims, inherent
and acquired, against abandonment. But there were further reasons,
exterior to herself, to be found in the particular condition of the
military problem. In all campaigns, and especially in those which are
defensive in character, as this then was, it is an accepted principle
that the front of operations should be advanced, or, in case of
retreat, should be maintained, as far forward as is possible
consistent with general considerations of safety. Prominent among the
latter is always the securing of the lines of communication, by which
alone supplies and reinforcements can be received, or {p.184} further
retreat made in case of necessity. By detaining the enemy in such an
advanced position, security--partial or total--is obtained for the
various interests in the rear, whether public or private. The question
of such detention, however, if to be effected by an inferior army, is
difficult and complicated; for which reason, as well as because of
other disadvantages inherent in inferiority, a defensive campaign
really great--great, that is, in a military sense--makes the highest
demand upon military skill.

It was the defensive stage of Napoleon's Italian campaign of 1796 that
illustrated his greatness, even more conspicuously than the offensive
movements which preceded it, extraordinary exhibitions though they
were of his military genius; and the same distinction attends his
resistance of the allied invasion in 1814.

In certain co