CHAPTER 1. THE BOER NATIONS.

acewiththeproblemwhichthiscountryhashadtosolve.IftheyfoundthesenewStatesfiercelyanti-Americanandextremelyunprogressive,theywouldexperiencethataggravationoftheirdifficultieswithwhichourstatesmenhavehadtodeal. AtthetimeoftheirtransferencetotheBritishflagthecolonists—Dutch,French,andGerman—numberedsomethirtythousand.Theywereslaveholders,andtheslaveswereaboutasnumerousasthemselves.TheprospectofcompleteamalgamationbetweentheBritishandtheoriginalsettlerswouldhaveseemedtobeagoodone,sincetheywereofmuchthesamestock,andtheircreedscouldonlybedistinguishedbytheirvaryingdegreesofbigotryandintolerance.FivethousandBritishemigrantswerelandedin1820,settlingontheEasternbordersofthecolony,andfromthattimeonwardstherewasaslowbutsteadyinfluxofEnglishspeakingcolonists.TheGovernmenthadthehistoricalfaultsandthehistoricalvirtuesofBritishrule.Itwasmild,clean,honest,tactless,andinconsistent.Onthewhole,itmighthavedoneverywellhaditbeencontenttoleavethingsasitfoundthem.ButtochangethehabitsofthemostconservativeofTeutonicraceswasadangerousventure,andonewhichhasledtoalongseriesofcomplications,makingupthetroubledhistoryofSouthAfrica.TheImperialGovernmenthasalwaystakenanhonourableandphilanthropicviewoftherightsofthenativeandtheclaimwhichhehastotheprotectionofthelaw.Weholdandrightly,thatBritishjustice,ifnotblind,shouldatleastbecolour-blind.Theviewisirreproachableintheoryandincontestableinargument,butitisapttobeirritatingwhenurgedbyaBostonmoralistoraLondonphilanthropistuponmenwhosewholesocietyhasbeenbuiltupontheassumptionthattheblackistheinferiorrace.Suchapeopleliketofindthehighermoralityforthemselves,nottohaveitimposeduponthembythosewholiveunderentirelydifferentconditions.Theyfeel—andwithsomereason—thatitisacheapformofvirtuewhich,fromtheserenityofawell-orderedhouseholdinBeaconStreetorBelgraveSquare,prescribeswhattherelationshallbebetweenawhiteemployerandhishalf-savage,half-childishretainers.BothbranchesoftheAnglo-Celticracehavegrappledwiththequestion,andineachithasledtotrouble. TheBritishGovernmentinSouthAfricahasalwaysplayedtheunpopularpartofthefriendandprotectorofthenativeservants.Itwasuponthisverypointthatthefirstfrictionappearedbetweentheoldsettlersandthenewadministration.ArisingwithbloodshedfollowedthearrestofaDutchfarmerwhohadmaltreatedhisslave.Itwassuppressed,andfiveoftheparticipantswerehanged.Thispunishmentwasundulysevereandexceedinglyinjudicious.Abraveracecanforgetthevictimsofthefieldofbattle,butneverthoseofthescaffold.Themakingofpoliticalmartyrsisthelastinsanityofstatesmanship.ItistruethatboththemanwhoarrestedandthejudgewhocondemnedtheprisonerswereDutch,andthattheBritishGovernorinterferedonthesideofmercybutallthiswasforgottenafterwardsinthedesiretomakeracialcapitaloutoftheincident.Itistypicaloftheenduringresentmentwhichwasleftbehindthatwhen,aftertheJamesonraid,itseemedthattheleadersofthatill-fatedventuremightbehanged,thebeamwasactuallybroughtfromafarmhouseatCookhouseDrifttoPretoria,thattheEnglishmenmightdieastheDutchmenhaddiedin1816.Slagter'sNekmarkedthedividingofthewaysbetweentheBritishGovernmentandtheAfrikaners. Andtheseparationsoonbecamemoremarked.Therewereinjudicioustamperingswiththelocalgovernmentandthelocalways,withasubstitutionofEnglishforDutchinthelawcourts.Withvicariousgenerosity,theEnglishGovernmentgaveverylenienttermstotheKaffirtribeswhoin1834hadraidedtheborderfarmers.Andthen,finally,inthissameyeartherecametheemancipationoftheslavesthroughouttheBritishEmpire,whichfannedallsmoulderingdiscontentsintoanactiveflame. ItmustbeconfessedthatonthisoccasiontheBritishphilanthropistwaswillingtopayforwhathethoughtwasright.Itwasanoblenationalaction,andonethemoralityofwhichwasinadvanceofitstime,thattheBritishParliamentshouldvotetheenormoussumoftwentymillionpoundstopaycompensationtotheslaveholders,andsotoremoveanevilwithwhichthemothercountryhadnoimmediateconnection.Itwasaswellthatthethingshouldhavebeendonewhenitwas,forhadwewaitedtillthecoloniesaffectedhadgovernmentsoftheirownitcouldneverhavebeendonebyconstitutionalmethods.WithmanyagrumblethegoodBritishhouseholderdrewhispursefromhisfob,andhepaidforwhathethoughttoberight.Ifanyspecialgraceattendsthevirtuousactionwhichbringsnothingbuttribulationinthisworld,thenwemayhopeforitoverthisemancipation.Wespentourmoney,weruinedourWestIndiancolonies,andwestartedadisaffectioninSouthAfrica,theendofwhichwehavenotseen.Yetifitweretobedoneagainweshoulddoubtlessdoit.Thehighestmoralitymayprovealsotobethehighestwisdomwhenthehalf-toldstorycomestobefinished. Butthedetailsofthemeasurewerelesshonourablethantheprinciple.Itwascarriedoutsuddenly,sothatthecountryhadnotimetoadjustitselftothenewconditions.Threemillionpoundswereear-markedforSouthAfrica,whichgivesapriceperslaveoffromsixtytoseventypounds,asumconsiderablybelowthecurrentlocalrates.Finally,thecompensationwasmadepayableinLondon,sothatthefarmerssoldtheirclaimsatreducedpricestomiddlemen.IndignationmeetingswereheldineverylittletownletandcattlecampontheKaroo.TheoldDutchspiritwasup—thespiritofthemenwhocutthedykes.Rebellionwasuseless.Butavastuntenantedlandstretchedtothenorthofthem.Thenomadlifewascongenialtothem,andintheirhugeox-drawnwagons—likethosebullock-cartsinwhichsomeoftheiroldkinsmencametoGaul—theyhadvehiclesandhomesandfortsallinone.Onebyonetheywereloadedup,thehugeteamswereinspanned,thewomenwereseatedinside,themen,withtheirlong-barrelledguns,walkedalongside,andthegreatexoduswasbegun.Theirherdsandflocksaccompaniedthemigration,andthechildrenhelpedtoroundtheminanddrivethem.Onetatteredlittleboyoftencrackedhissjambokwhipbehindthebullocks.Hewasasmalliteminthatsingularcrowd,buthewasofinteresttous,forhisnamewasPaulStephanusKruger. Itwasastrangeexodus,onlycomparableinmoderntimestothesallyingforthoftheMormonsfromNauvooupontheirsearchforthepromisedlandofUtah.ThecountrywasknownandsparselysettledasfarnorthastheOrangeRiver,butbeyondtherewasagreatregionwhichhadneverbeenpenetratedsavebysomedaringhunteroradventurouspioneer.Itchanced—iftherebeindeedsuchanelementaschanceinthegraveraffairsofman—thataZuluconquerorhadsweptoverthislandandleftituntenanted,savebythedwarfbushmen,thehideousaborigines,lowestofthehumanrace.Therewerefinegrazingandgoodsoilfortheemigrants.Theytraveledinsmalldetachedparties,buttheirtotalnumberswereconsiderable,fromsixtotenthousandaccordingtotheirhistorian,ornearlyaquarterofthewholepopulationofthecolony.Someoftheearlybandsperishedmiserably.Alargenumbermadeatrysting-placeatahighpeaktotheeastofBloemfonteininwhatwaslatelytheOrangeFreeState.OnepartyoftheemigrantswascutoffbytheformidableMatabeli,abranchofthegreatZulunation.Thesurvivorsdeclaredwaruponthem,andshowedinthis,theirfirstcampaign,theextraordinaryingenuityinadaptingtheirtacticstotheiradversarywhichhasbeentheirgreatestmilitarycharacteristic.ThecommandowhichrodeouttodobattlewiththeMatabelinumbered,itissaid,ahundredandthirty-fivefarmers.Theiradversariesweretwelvethousandspearmen.TheymetattheMaricoRiver,nearMafeking.TheBoerscombinedtheuseoftheirhorsesandoftheirriflessocleverlythattheyslaughteredathirdoftheirantagonistswithoutanylosstothemselves.Theirtacticsweretogallopupwithinrangeoftheenemy,tofireavolley,