Nor is the military position such as to exclude anxiety.  The swift flame of war ran in a few days around the whole circle of the republican frontiers.  Far away to the north there was a skirmish at Tuli.  On the west Khama’s territories are threatened with invasion.  Mafeking is surrounded, isolated, and manfully defending itself against continual attack.  Vryburg has been treacherously surrendered by its rebel inhabitants to the enemy.  Kimberley offers a serene front to a hesitating attack, and even retaliates with armoured trains and other enterprises.  The southern frontier is armed, and menaced, and the expectation of collision is strong.  But it is on the eastern side that the Boers have concentrated their greatest energies.  They have gone Nap on Natal.  The configuration of the country favours an invader.  The reader has scarcely to look at the map, with which he is already familiar, to realise how strategically powerful the Boer position was and is.  The long tongue of plain running up into the mountains could be entered from both sides.  The communications of the advanced garrisons would be assailed:  their retreat imperilled.  The Boers seemed bound to clear northern Natal of the troops.  If, on the other hand, they were, or should now be, suddenly driven back on their own country, they have only to retire up the tongue of plain, with their exposed front narrowing every mile between the mountains, and await their pursuers on the almost inexpugnable position of Laing’s Nek.  Appreciating all this, their leaders have wisely resolved to put forth their main strength against the force in Natal, and by crushing it to rouse their sympathisers within the Cape Colony.  Should they succeed either on this front or on any other to a serious extent, though the disaffection would not take a very violent form, for all the bravoes have already joined the enemy, the general insecurity would demand the employment of an army corps in addition to that already on the seas.

A democratic Government cannot go to war unless the country is behind it, and until it has general support must not place itself in a position whence, without fighting, there is no retreat.  The difficulty of rallying public opinion in the face of the efforts of Mr. Morley, Mr. Courtney, Sir William Harcourt, and others have caused a most dangerous delay in the despatch of reinforcements.  War has been aggravated by the Peace Party; and thus these humanitarian gentlemen are personally—­for they occupy no official position—­responsible for the great loss of life.  They will find their several consolations:  Mr. Morley will rejoice that he has faithfully pursued Mr. Gladstone’s policy in South Africa; Mr. Courtney that he has been consistent at all costs; Sir William Harcourt that he has hampered the Government.  But for those who lose their sons and brothers in a quarrel thus unnecessarily extended, there will only remain vain regrets, and to the eyewitness only a bitter anger.