He would learn the amazing
story, incredible to almost any other nation, of the great rally of
colonial troops to the help of the Empire at the time of the Boer War.
He would read of the periodical Imperial Conferences at the Centre in
London. He would learn of the new drawing together now going on both in
regard to foreign policy and military strategy. He would contrast all
this with the spirit of the American Colonies between 1776 and 1782. He
would look back, perhaps, to the beginning of this new era of
self-government, and recall the memory of Canada in rebellion, of
Australia in a state of permanent quarrel with Downing Street, and of
South Africa in perpetual, recurring, chronic confusion and disorder.
He would learn that before 1837 every white British colony was
discontented,[70] and that now every colony was loyal. He would
contrast these two pictures of Empire. Perhaps, then, he would realise
that the true secret of the strength of the modern British Empire lay
neither in militarism nor Imperialism, neither in swagger nor bounce
nor boasting nor pride, but in the gradual development of that amazing
policy of generosity and goodwill which is best typified in the phrase,
"Home Rule.
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