MR. BALFOUR AND THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE. [To TEE * EDITOR
OF THE "SrEcnTore."] Sra,—The astonishing letter written by the Prime Minister to the Duke of Devonshire on his retirement from the Ministry seems to have provoked less criticism than it ought to have elicited from the organs of the daily Press,—a fact not pleasant to the pride of Englishmen. That such a letter could be written, and written for publication, by the first Minister of the Crown is something of a revelation. That party newspapers of the baser sort should re-echo Mr. Balfour's scoldings with added shrillness in the tone, and describe his "acerbity" as "not unnatural in the circumstanees," was, no doubt, to be expected; that even the Times, which has some feeling for the decorum of public life, should, under the pressure of party feeling, tone its censure down to the remark that the correspondence is " painful reading " is not unintelli- gible; but why should not the unfettered Press denounce as it deserves the astonishing manner of Mr. Balfour's letter? Not in its language, although, suitably enough, that lacks all elevation, is the grievous fault to be discerned, but in the plan and motive of it. With great self-denial, the Duke of Devon- shire had consented to stand by Mr. Balfour in spite of great personal divergence of view, and had even separated himself from his immediate political entourage in order to avoid a rupture that would embarrass Mr. Balfour's Government. A greater sacrifice of feeling could hardly be demanded of any man. Mr. Balfour thereupon, apparently failing to realise how in- tense the strain was which the exigency of his demands had put upon his principal supporter, gave another turn to the screw and snapped the bond. Then, when he has to deal with the consequences of his own act, he heaps acrid reproaches upon his ex-colleague, and utilises as his most effective point this very fact, converted into a vitriolic accusation, that the Duke had been so complacent and had gone so far in the direction of supporting the Premier against his own judgment. We all know that there is a class of people whom it is more dangerous to befriend than to injure, but they are an un- worthy company ; and when the Prime Minister of England discovers himself amid their ranks it is time for decent folk to give expression to the horror natural and proper to the
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