s vast and vague expression. It will be found, I think, upon
examination, that the term "liberty," as employed in the sphere of
politics, has four distinct connotations. I hope to show that in no one
of these four senses is liberty incompatible with the compulsory element
implicit in the principle of national service.

FOOTNOTES:

[25] Seeley. _Introduction to Political Science_, pp. 103-4.

[26] Arnold. _Culture and Anarchy_, chap. ii.

[27] Ritchie. _Natural Rights_, p. 135.

[28] Seeley: _op. cit._, p. 103.

III. LIBERTY AS FREEDOM FROM FOREIGN CONTROL

"A free nation," says Sir William Temple, "is that which has never been
conquered, or thereby entered into any condition of subjection."[29] In
this sense of freedom from foreign domination liberty is the immemorial
boast of Britons. They never have been, or will be, slaves. They are,
and they are determined to remain--so they proudly sing--free as the
waves that wash their shores, free as the winds that sweep their hills.
They are resolved that no alien tyrant shall plant his foot upon their
necks. As in the Middle Ages they repudiated the claim of German
Emperors and Ultramontane Popes to exercise political sovereignty over
them; as in more modern times they resisted conquest by the Spaniard
Philip and the Corsican Napoleon; even so would they resist to the
extreme limit of endurance any attempt to-day to reduce them to
servitude. The proposition that freedom in this sense of national
independence is consistent with compulsory military service needs no
demonstration at all. So far from there being any incompatibility
between the two, it is probable that only by means of a manhood
universally trained to the use of arms can the freedom of Britain and
the integrity of the Empire be ultimately maintained. We shall almost
certainly have to choose, not between national service and liberty, but
between national service and destruction.

FOOTNOTE:

[29] Temple. _Works_ ii, p. 87.

IV. LIBERTY AS SYNONYMOUS WITH RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT

In a second and somewhat looser sense "Liberty is regarded as the
equivalent of Parliamentary government."[30] We speak of one type of
Constitution as "free" and of another type as "unfree." The so-called
"free" type of government is that in which political power rests in the
hands of the Democracy, whereas in "unfree" States the people are in
subjection to a ruling person or class. From the point of view of the
i