I cannot help thinking Sir Frederick
Young did injustice to some of my friends who have been at the head
of affairs. "The mournful mismanagement of South African affairs,"
he says, "during the last twenty-five years, and most especially
during the last decade, has been truly lamentable, and cannot fail
to awaken the saddest feelings on the part of every loyal Briton
and true-hearted patriot." But have affairs been mismanaged for the
last twenty-five years? The revenue twenty-five years ago was
L500,000. It is now nearly L4,000,000. For twenty-five years, under
the beneficent rule of Downing Street, we had not a mile of
railway. Now we have 2,000 miles. Twenty-five years ago there was
no national feeling at all. Now there is a strong South African
feeling, which is destined to grow and build up a South African
policy. As to the talk about a settled and firm policy, Sir Philip
Wodehouse was the last Governor who had a grand scheme from Downing
Street. A more honest, conscientious, and able man did not exist;
but his policy was a failure. Then came my friend Sir Henry Barkly.
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