The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-11-10

ment the ultimatum was issued we ha6 withdrawn our demands and there were no demands before the Transvaal gov. | ernment. It was because we had taken measures to increase the amount of ou1 forces in South Africa. But, If that had been done a few months sooner, exact
 ly the same result would have taken
 place. The moment you had shown signs of raising your force to an equal
 ity with the force opposed to it, that mo
 ment the ultimatum would have been
 issued and war would have begun. (Cheers.)
 Preparations in the TrensvaaI.
 Tt is not, therefore, right to say that
 there was not adequate military prepa-
 ration. The evil goes farther back It
 dates to those unfortunate arrange
 ments in 1891 and 1884 by which we de-
 liberately permitted community ob- viously hostile to enjoy the unbounded
 right of accommodating munitions of war against us Year after year an ac-
 emulation of munitions was made
 which could only be directed against us. | Hampered by these arrangements it
 was impossible that we should avoid the interval of trial and danger necessarily
 to intervene between the moment when war was declared and the moment when 1 our forces could accept contest and ap- 1 pear upon the field.
 l Impossible to Avoid Danger.
 That interval has nearly passed. Our troops are beginning to arrive. For
 eign nations have complimented us up- I ha co1 xt,ifh 1,rIio ioI, ryt, boy | received the intelligence of occasional | checks. Whatever strategy there might l be, we are well aware that the begin ming of our conflict with the Boers | must be marked by a retirement of our troops from positions they are not strong enough to occupy. It is neces- sary that they should wait for suffi- cient endorsements. I do not attempt | to forecast the future. I only say that my faith in the British soldier is un-
 bounded, and am deeply gratifled to feel thathe is in the vigorous and saga cious hands of General Butler. Regarding the Future.
 Regarding the future, I will only deprecate some very strange assertions that see occasionallyAin the continen- tai press Only the other day I saw it asserted, not by chance writer, but by man who has been member of a French government, that this war had for it's objects the qualification of the lust of greedy lords, who desired a par tition among themselves of the gold and diamonds of the Transvaal. Now, beg to assure this gentleman that her majesty's cabinet have not had far- thing from the Transvaal or from any other gold fields. There is Yukon, about which there is no contest, If there had been any chance of our gaining advan- tage these Yukon gold fields should have yielded something, but I appeal to my friend, Lord Hamilton, to know if the cabinet ever had farthing from them. Laughter). I go further. Eng land as a whole would have had no ad- vantage from the possession of gold mines except where her government conferred the blessing of good adminis- tration on those engaged in the indus try. All successful industry breeds commerce, and all commerce has pro- duced is to the advantage of all indus tries which flourish under our good gov ernment better than under any regime III ll-e WuIiu. put tHdt IS tHe ilITil or our interest
 Equal Rights Desired.
 What we desire is equal rights for all | men of all races and security for our | fellow subjects and our empire The | hour for asking by what means these results can be obtained is not yet come, but these are the objects and the only objects, we seek. We do not allow any other consideration to cross our path.
 Would Not Accept Interference.
 q have seen it suggested--and it seems to me wild suggestion--that the other powers will interfere with this and in some form or other dic- tate to those who are concerned in it as to what its upshot should be- Don't let any man think it is in that fashion the conflict will be concluded. We shall have to carry it through ourselves, and the interference of anybody else will have no effect upon it. (Cheers) In | he first place, because we would not lccept that interference, and, in the sec 1nd place because we are convinced { hat there is no such idea in the mind ,f any government in the world
 Other Nars ana PreCeucnts, ] within my recollection there have 'een some five or six wars, involving in 4 heir close great territorial modifica- ions, but, except as provided for by reatieS and except in the case of trea- A ies, in none of these wars has q third A arty ventured to interfere between the A In none of these wars has ny nation claimed right to determine D hat the issue of the contest or it's erms should be. They have not claim B d that right because they cannot. It p not in accordance with international q w that they should possess it There C )re, such dreams should be set aside. C
 Issue Of the Conflict. IC
 CT Whenever we are victorious we shall | ,nsult the vast interests committed to Cl IF care. Vast duties lie upon us to 1 ~, 1rform, and, taking counsel of the uni Cl rm traditions of our colonial govern Cl ent and of the mediation and equal CCl stice to all races of men which it has q, en our uniform practice to observe, I G not doubt that we shall so arrange C. at the issue of this conflict will con NN ' good government upon the area Dc lere it rages and give the security. Dt ral1y t1ap6pd inc ha 70 v,