"The necessity for the employment, in the interests of the Empire,
to use the phrase most practical,--uncouth, however, it may
seem,--of our Royal Princes appears to be a very decided and
certain means to the end we have in view, namely, the binding
together, by means of sympathetic enthusiasm, the Colonies to the
Mother Country, but most particularly the creating of a healthy
common accord between South Africa and Great Britain.

"Let any Colony or Dependency feel assured that it is regarded as
worthy of attention by those nearest to the Crown, and any sense of
isolation, any suspicion that the people, or their country are
regarded with any measure of contemptuous indifference must
forthwith vanish. Sympathy, encouragement, personal contact, seem
to be essential elements to the solution of what is admittedly a
problem."

I regard this letter of my well informed correspondent as a most
interesting and truthful expression of wide-spread opinion, among the
intelligent classes of Her Majesty's loyal subjects in South Africa.

I do not believe the South African political problem to be insoluble.
Two things are required to solve it satisfactorily. For the present,--I
quote the eloquent words of a distinguished politician with whose wise
and noble sentiments I cordially agree--"what we ought to do in a case
of this kind is to send out a statesman of the first order of talent,
patience, and truthfulness, irrespective of politics or prejudice. For
it is an Imperial problem of the highest importance; and the powers of
true patriotism and ambition should be amply gratified in dealing with
it."