at Edinburgh, on the duty of maintaining the integrity of
our Colonial Empire. He answered the remark that it is not for us to anticipate the future of our Colonies, by pointing out that we' " always do and must anticipate the future, in the temper in which too we actually govern them. If we do not anticipate permanent union with them, we anticipate speedy separation, and act so as to • produce it. " I am one of those," he said, " who so far believe in the future, that if I became convinced that the forces of society are tending in a direction which must inevitably bring about a certain result, I should begin to ques- tion myself whether the Power which guides man through the ages is not, after all, guiding him aright, though to my imper- fect vision there may be pitfalls by the way." if it be the true key-note of a Colonial policy to prepare the Colonies for inde- pendence, then we ought at once to try and-tune our instruments in harmony.
Previous page
