at every man who has ever felt the sacredness
of his own native soil to him, and thus learnt to regard that feeling in
other men as something holy and inviolable, spits out of his mouth with
enormous contempt." When, further, in his "Representative Government"
Mill tells the English people--a thing about which Shaw has no
illusions--that they are "the power which of all in existence best
understands liberty, and, whatever may have been its errors in the past,
has attained to more of conscience and moral principle in its dealing
with foreigners than any other great nation seems either to conceive as
possible or recognise as desirable"--they not only go forward to
civilise the barbarians by Denshawai horrors, but they do so unctuously
in the true Macaulayan style. We feel a natural wrath at all this, not
unmingled with amusement and amazement. In studying the question we read
much that rouses anger and contempt, but one must laugh out heartily in
coming to this gem of Mill's, uttered with all Mill's solemnity:
"Place-hunting is a form of ambition to which the English, considered
nationally, are almost strangers." When the sincerest expression of the
English mind can produce this we need to have our wits about us; and
when, as just now, so much nonsense, and dangerous nonsense, is being
poured abroad about the Empire, we need to pause, carefully consider all
these things, and be on our guard.

V

In conclusion, we may add our own word to the talk of the hour--the
politicians on Home Rule. It should raise a smile to hear so often the
prophecy that Ireland will be loyal to the Empire when she gets Home
Rule. We are surprised that any Irishman could be so foolish, though, no
doubt, many Englishmen are so simple as to believe it. History and
experience alike deny it. Possibly the Home Rule chiefs realise their
active service is now limited to a decade or two, and assume Home Rule
may be the limit for that time, and speak only for that time; but at the
end of that time our generation will be vigorous and combative, and if
we cannot come into our own before then, we shall be ready then. We need
say for the moment no more than this--the limit of the old generation
is not the limit of ours. If anyone doubt the further step to take let
him consider our history, recent and remote. The old effort to subdue or
exterminate us having failed, the new effort to conciliate us began.
Minor concessions led to the bigger question of the