Bless them! the country hardly noticed their blunders, has quite
forgotten their promises, and cannot distinguish between one set of
methods and another. When the man in the street sees two other men in
the street fighting, he doesn't care to know the cause of the combat:
he simply wants the smaller man to punish the bigger, and to punish
him with all possible severity. When a party with a large majority
appeals to the country, its appeal falls, necessarily, on deaf ears.
Some years ago there happened an exception to this rule. But then the
circumstances were exceptional. A small nation was fighting a big
nation, and, as the big nation happened to be yourselves, your
sympathy was transferred to the big nation. As the little party was
suspected of favouring the little nation, your sympathy was
transferred likewise to the big party. Barring `khaki,' sympathy takes
its usual course in General Elections. The bigger the initial
majority, the bigger the collapse. It is not enough that Goliath shall
fall: he must bite the dust, and bite plenty of it. It is not enough
that David shall have done what he set out to do: a throne must be
found for this young man. Away with the giant's body! Hail, King
David!
I should like to think that chivalry was the sole motive of our zeal.
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