Was it
not in their cognizance that in South Africa, through the medium of
the telegraph, they were able to know what was taking place in
England within twenty-four hours? Geographical considerations,
indeed! that might have been all very well some years ago, when it
took three or four months to reach the Cape, but now it took only
two or three weeks, and that time would even be probably reduced as
time wore on. Such being the case, geographical considerations had
nothing whatever to do with the matter. He had no desire to speak
unfairly of the gentleman who occupied the position of Prime
Minister of the Empire, but he felt sure the time would come when
Lord Salisbury would think that Imperial Federation was something
more than a word of ten letters; and that his geographical
considerations would vanish also, as having no reason in them. In
contrast to Lord Salisbury, he would read a short extract from a
speech, made only a few months ago at Leeds by Lord Rosebery, when
he said: "For my part, if you will forgive me this little bit of
egotism, I can say from the bottom of my heart that it is the
dominant passion of my public life.
Pages:
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144