Clippings.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 109, 16 February 1901, Page 3

Clippings.

j FUTURE OF THE RACK. The old, old oof's!ion as to the future of the Anglo-Buxon race, and, incidentally, of the British Empire, is again on the ‘ l tapis.” Lord Cuaries Bcresford, niidai ited hy the doubtful fioshness of the subject, contributes in the North American R *view a reliable rechanfeo of the previous pros atul cons, His paper mainly derives its interest from its authorship, but his lordship has the advantage of a fresh basis for induction in the Honth African trouble. He thinks that the reasons conducing to the downfall of (hr ancient Empire can be summed up in the statement that they did not permit the commer dal spirit to keep alive and grow with the military spirit. His paper purports to investigate how far the British Empire has succeeded in this direction. It is one of the penalties of Empire that territorial expansion saps the vigour and life-blood of the nation by imposing on it great burdens in the matter of defence, and the expenses of colonisation. Tin less expansion of acres is accompanied by a corresponding expansion of trade, the mid is not far di.ti .. Lord Beresfoid admits that mom civilised narions look on the British empire as an unvioldy and tottering fabric, whose ramifications have extended beyond the control of the vital centre, and he thinks there is much to favor lids gloomy view of the tin-' doubted moral deterioration ami instability of the higher classes of the Empire. As in ancient Rome, power and pleasure were the Coots of ruin, bo now the horrifying monster of plutocracy is eating up our manliness and chivalry, our moral courage and fearlessness. But in spite of this dark admission, Lord Beresford ranges himself on the side of those who look for a glorious consummation of the race. To this hope the attitude of the colonies, morepatriotic even than their fathers, the sympathy of our brothers in America, and the life derived from the admixture of blood in the race, lend a good foundation.