In the British Islands and in the empire at large our misfortunes were met by a sombre but unalterable determination to carry the war to a successful conclusion and to spare no sacrifices which could lead to that end.  Amid the humiliation of our reverses there was a certain undercurrent of satisfaction that the deeds of our foemen should at least have made the contention that the strong was wantonly attacking the weak an absurd one.  Under the stimulus of defeat the opposition to the war sensibly decreased.  It had become too absurd even for the most unreasonable platform orator to contend that a struggle had been forced upon the Boers when every fresh detail showed how thoroughly they had prepared for such a contingency and how much we had to make up.  Many who had opposed the war simply on that sporting instinct which backs the smaller against the larger began to realise that what with the geographical position of these people, what with the nature of their country, and what with the mobility, number, and hardihood of their forces, we had undertaken a task which would necessitate such a military effort as we had never before been called upon to make.  When Kipling at the dawn of the war had sung of ’fifty thousand horse and foot going to Table Bay,’ the statement had seemed extreme.  Now it was growing upon the public mind that four times this number would not be an excessive estimate.  But the nation rose grandly to the effort.  Their only fear, often and loudly expressed, was that Parliament would deal too tamely with the situation and fail to demand sufficient sacrifices.  Such was the wave of feeling over the country that it was impossible to hold a peace meeting anywhere without a certainty of riot.  The only London daily which had opposed the war, though very ably edited, was overborne by the general sentiment and compelled to change its line.  In the provinces also opposition was almost silent, and the great colonies were even more unanimous than the mother country.  Misfortune had solidified us where success might have caused a sentimental opposition.

On the whole, the energetic mood of the nation was reflected by the decided measures of the Government.  Before the deep-sea cables had told us the lists of our dead, steps had been taken to prove to the world how great were our latent resources and how determined our spirit.  On December 18th, two days after Colenso, the following provisions were made for carrying on the campaign.

1.  That as General Buller’s hands were full in Natal the supervision and direction of the whole campaign should be placed in the hands of Lord Roberts, with Lord Kitchener as his chief of staff.  Thus the famous old soldier and the famous young one were called together to the assistance of the country.

2.  That all the remaining army reserves should be called out.

3.  That the 7th Division (10,000 men) should be despatched to Africa, and that an 8th Division should be formed ready for service.