1906] Slwoting the Zulu Chiefs 135 



from the time of the Parnell split. The best proof of their little influ- 

 ence to-day was that the priests could not carry a single constituency 

 against the Parliamentary Party at an election. Archbishop Walsh 

 was a man of little influence, he was too constantly changing his mind. 

 Even on the University question it was impossible to say what his 

 present opinion was. 



" From this we went on to South Africa, which is the question of 

 the moment, the Government having first intervened to reprieve twelve 

 Kaffirs sentenced to death in Natal by a court martial, and then having 

 climbed down for fear of Colonial white opinion. He said the Radicals 

 were very angry at Lord Elgin's pusillanimity, and the case was to be 

 debated on Monday. The Radicals were angry, too, at the Whig sec- 

 tion of the Cabinet not having voted for the Trades Union Bill. Alto- 

 gether they had lost much ground already this session. If the opposi- 

 tion had any men of ability they might make an effective attack; as it 

 was, George Wyndham was their only good man. Of George Wynd- 

 ham he spoke nicely, said he had been sorry for him at the time of 

 his breakdown last year when he resigned, but he had quite recovered 

 his position now. I told him I should not be surprised if George 

 helped them to get Home Rule, and I also repeated to him how Arthur 

 Balfour had told me long ago that if they were to have Home Rule at 

 all he hoped it would be separation. On the whole Redmond was most 

 satisfied with the position. The Labour members went solid with the 

 Irish, so that they made a compact party of 120 or 130 members. 

 Redmond is a good-hearted fellow, getting up several times to arrange 

 my invalid pillows for me while we were talking. 



" yth April. — The interest of the week has been about the Zulu 

 rising in Natal. Our wretched Whig Government, after interven- 

 ing to reprieve the twelve men sentenced to be shot, gave in to the 

 Natal colonists, whose Ministry had resigned, and on Monday the 

 unfortunate Zulus were executed. This is a dastardly business, and 

 has disgusted the Radicals with Lord Elgin, and there has since been 

 a serious Kaffir rising. How it will end no one knows, but the Gov- 

 ernment has now committed itself to the general principle of protecting 

 the natives. 



" 8th April. — Sir Wilfrid Lawson called, much broken with age, 

 I am sorry to see, but still full of interest in the things that interested 

 us both twenty-five years ago. I think that with his help we have 

 put a spoke in Cromer's wheel, and prevented a bombardment at 

 Akabah." 



This was the last time I saw Sir Wilfrid, whose death, a few weeks 

 later, was an immense misfortune to the cause of liberty, and the rights 

 of backward races and small nationalities oppressed by British Imperi- 



