Tue French have determined to annex Madagascar, which is the natural and logical course to take, and the Times of the Ist of June has a letter from its correspondent at Paris, explaining M. Hanotaux's position in' the matter. M. Hanotaux is one of those politicians who have reason to be thankful that A merciful Providunee fashioned us holler purpose that we might our principles He refused to join M. Bourgeois' Ministry because he could not consent to the annexation of Madagascar. He wrote in the Revue de Paris a much-discussed and remarkable article in which he proved with absolute clearness the paramount advantages of a protectorate, and explained the inconveniences of annexation. He has just published a reprint of his despatches, speeches, and articles in favour of a protectorate. And yet on the 30th of May last he had to ascend the tribune of the French Chamber and say The Government submits with coufidence for your approval the following Bill:-—' The Island of Madagascar with the dependent islands is declared a French Colony."" All expanding Powers have the same experience with lin civilised conquests, First comes the punitive expedition; then the Resident with advisory powers, the domestic autonomy of the country being respected; then the protectorate; and finally annexation, Anything less than annexation gives the civilised conqueror responsibility without adequate power; and as the native government inevitably disintegrates at the contact with the superior intelligence, annexation is forced on the conquerors whether they like it or not. No one therefore, and especially no Englishman, has any tight to blame M. Hanotaux for having accepted the inevitable.
'Pke Times' correspondent prefaces his account of the submission to the French Chamber of the annexation proposal with a slight sketch of the story of the annexation. He begins with the despatch of M. Lo Myre de Vilers, the former Governor-General of Indo-China, to Madagascar with an ultimatum in his pocket, an ultimatum formally stipulating for a protectorate, with all the conditions which would render it not too irksome for the protected party. The correspondent says "M. Lo Myre de Vilers, the man to whom pre-eminently is due the definite conquest of Madagascar, was born some centuries too late. He is the veritable type of the Pizarros and the Cortes, the 19th century personification of the old Conquistadores, astray in a time in which individual daring and initiative are strangled by the red tape of bureancracy. He is now getting on to his 65th year, and clad in helmet and armour, with a lance in his hand, he might easily pass furs knight of the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.