Sir Bartle Frere was entertained by his friends at a
public banquet on Saturday at Willis's Rooms, Sir R. Temple taking the chair, and pouring out a flood of eulogy upon the guest of the evening. We have quoted some sentences from his speech elsewhere, from which it appears that Sir Bartle Frere possesses not only all the virtues, but all the qualities which make up the true hero. Sir Bartle, in his speech of acknowledgment, thanked everybody, declared that his principle was to maintain order and security, irrespective of party considerations—he should have added, or any other considerations—and warmly eulogised the Cape Colonists, wl. o were, he said, descendants of Englishmen and of those who resisted Alva, and of the French Huguenots, and " animated by a patriotism as pure, a humanity as wide; and a courage as heroic" as those of our forefathers who maintained the liberties of England. That description, though glowing, needs a little further definition. The Puritans maintained the liberties of Englishmen, but they also governed Irishmen. It is in the second capacity, perhaps, that Sir Bartle Frere thinks the Cape Colonists so like them. Sir Bartle had the grace to admit that the success of the Cape policy is not yet perceptible, and the ill-grace to say self-government was forced upon the Cape. Well, the Colonists have only to state formally their eagerness to resign it, and her Majesty's Government will be relieved of a great difficulty.
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