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88,
becauno they wcro porcuad9d that it wary neconnory to preserve
British military and trade interests in the 8-8editcrranoan and
the Suez-Canal. Liberale were prepared to defend the Empire
but by this they meant the ß spire of white colonies and the
lone-established Indian dependency. They had no liking for
Iz periaUnt expansion in Africa for ito own ca11e when no
opecifie interest appeared to be at stake« hence they were
not willing to conquer the fludan in 1885, because $ apart
from the doubtful drctger to the Egyptian frontier$ there
neemed to be no wound reason for doing co. The er onta of
civilization, mission and prootico, had not yet atronrly
pervaded Liberalism. Lawoon in a letter to Courtney contrasted
the Liberal position in 1882 with that in 1883t -- "The most
encouraging thine gras that apparently the people agrood with
your view of the natter.,,, You are luckier than I wan, when I
attempted to stump the country against ßlodstone'u invasion of
Egypt in 1882, for not only wan I then absolutely alone# but
the Liberal jingoes generally continued to make a disturbance at
meetings and prevent a fair statement of the case*"
Hong Liberals in the country it is likely that there
woo some bearta. oeorching about the Government0a policy oven in
1882. This was often stiffed by a desire not to embarrass a
C1} G. P. Gooch, p c±tý ppa. 223.4a
(1)