the recent hour of danger, when this Colony
itself was invaded and partially annexed, fought and suffered
for the cause of Queen and Empire. I ask you, is it reasonable to
suppose that Her Majesty's Government is going back upon a policy
deliberately adopted, repeatedly declared, and having this
overwhelming weight of popular support throughout the whole
Empire behind it? And if it is not, I ask you further: What is
more likely to lead to a termination of the war--a recognition of
the irrevocable nature of this policy, or the reiteration of
menacing protests against it? And there is another respect in
which I fear this resolution is little calculated to promote that
speedy restoration of peace which we have all at heart. I refer
to the tone of aggressive exaggeration which characterises its
allusions to the conduct of the war. No doubt the resolution is
mild compared with some of the speeches by which it was
supported, just as those speeches themselves were mild compared
with much that we are now too well accustomed to hear and to
read, in the way of misrepresentation and abuse of the British
Government, British statesmen, British soldiers, the British
people. But even the resolution, mild in comparison with such
excesses, is greatly lacking in that sobriety and accuracy which
it is so necessary for all of us to cultivate in these days of
bitterly inflamed passions. It really is preposterous to talk,
among other things, about 'the extermination of a white
nationality,' or to give any sort of countenance to the now fully
exploded calumny about the ill-treatment of women and children.
The war, gentlemen, has its horrors--every war has. Those horrors
increase as it becomes more irregular on the part of the enemy,
thus necessitating severer measures on the part of the Imperial
troops. But, having regard to the conditions, it is one of the
most humane wars that has ever been waged in history. It has
been humane, I contend, on both sides, which does not, of course,
mean that on both sides there have not been isolated acts
deserving of condemnation. Still, the general direction, the
general spirit on both sides, has been humane. But it is another
question whether the war on the side of the enemy is any longer
justifiable. It is certainly not morally j