CHAPTER 1. THE BOER NATIONS.

ownrepresentativesintopowerandrunthegovernmentuponDutchlines.AlreadyDutchlawhadbeenrestored,andDutchputonthesamefootingasEnglishastheofficiallanguageofthecountry.Theextremeliberalityofsuchmeasures,andtheuncompromisingwayinwhichtheyhavebeencarriedout,howeverdistastefulthelegislationmightseemtoEnglishideas,areamongthechiefreasonswhichmadetheilliberaltreatmentofBritishsettlersintheTransvaalsokeenlyresentedattheCape.ADutchGovernmentwasrulingtheBritishinaBritishcolony,atamomentwhentheBoerswouldnotgiveanEnglishmanavoteuponamunicipalcouncilinacitywhichhehadbuilthimself.Unfortunately,however,'theevilthatmendolivesafterthem,'andtheignorantBoerfarmercontinuedtoimaginethathissouthernrelativeswereinbondage,justasthedescendantoftheIrishemigrantstillpicturesanIrelandofpenallawsandanalienChurch. Fortwenty-fiveyearsaftertheSandRiverConventiontheburghersoftheSouthAfricanRepublichadpursuedastrenuousandviolentexistence,fightingincessantlywiththenativesandsometimeswitheachother,withanoccasionalflingatthelittleDutchrepublictothesouth.Thesemi-tropicalsunwaswakingstrangefermentsintheplacidFrieslandblood,andproducingaracewhoaddedtheturbulenceandrestlessnessofthesouthtotheformidabletenacityofthenorth.StrongvitalityandviolentambitionsproducedfeudsandrivalriesworthyofmedievalItaly,andthestoryofthefactiouslittlecommunitiesislikeachapteroutofGuicciardini.Disorganisationensued.Theburgherswouldnotpaytaxesandthetreasurywasempty.OnefierceKaffirtribethreatenedthemfromthenorth,andtheZulusontheeast.ItisanexaggerationofEnglishpartisanstopretendthatourinterventionsavedtheBoers,fornoonecanreadtheirmilitaryhistorywithoutseeingthattheywereamatchforZulusandSekukunicombined.Butcertainlyaformidableinvasionwaspending,andthescatteredfarmhouseswereasopentotheKaffirsasourfarmers'homesteadswereintheAmericancolonieswhentheIndianswereonthewarpath.SirTheophilusShepstone,theBritishCommissioner,afteraninquiryofthreemonths,solvedallquestionsbytheformalannexationofthecountry.Thefactthathetookpossessionofitwithaforceofsometwenty-fivemenshowedthehonestyofhisbeliefthatnoarmedresistancewastobefeared.This,then,in1877wasacompletereversaloftheSandRiverConventionandtheopeningofanewchapterinthehistoryofSouthAfrica. Theredidnotappeartobeanystrongfeelingatthetimeagainsttheannexation.Thepeopleweredepressedwiththeirtroublesandwearyofcontention.Burgers,thePresident,putinaformalprotest,andtookuphisabodeinCapeColony,wherehehadapensionfromtheBritishGovernment.AmemorialagainstthemeasurereceivedthesignaturesofamajorityoftheBoerinhabitants,buttherewasafairminoritywhotooktheotherview.KrugerhimselfacceptedapaidofficeunderGovernment.Therewaseverysignthatthepeople,ifjudiciouslyhandled,wouldsettledownundertheBritishflag.Itisevenassertedthattheywouldthemselveshavepetitionedforannexationhaditbeenlongerwithheld.Withimmediateconstitutionalgovernmentitispossiblethateventhemostrecalcitrantofthemmighthavebeeninducedtolodgetheirprotestsintheballotboxesratherthaninthebodiesofoursoldiers. ButtheempirehasalwayshadpoorluckinSouthAfrica,andneverworsethanonthatoccasion.Throughnobadfaith,butsimplythroughpreoccupationanddelay,thepromisesmadewerenotinstantlyfulfilled.Simpleprimitivemendonotunderstandthewaysofourcircumlocutionoffices,andtheyascribetoduplicitywhatisreallyredtapeandstupidity.IftheTransvaalershadwaitedtheywouldhavehadtheirVolksraadandallthattheywanted.ButtheBritishGovernmenthadsomeotherlocalmatterstosetright,therootingoutofSekukuniandthebreakingoftheZulus,beforetheywouldfulfilltheirpledges.Thedelaywaskeenlyresented.AndwewereunfortunateinourchoiceofGovernor.Theburghersareahomelyfolk,andtheylikeanoccasionalcupofcoffeewiththeanxiousmanwhotriestorulethem.ThethreehundredpoundsayearofcoffeemoneyallowedbytheTransvaaltoitsPresidentisbynomeansamereform.Awiseadministratorwouldfallintothesociableanddemocratichabitsofthepeople.SirTheophilusShepstonedidso.SirOwenLanyondidnot.TherewasnoVolksraadandnocoffee,andthepopulardiscontentgrewrapidly.InthreeyearstheBritishhadbrokenupthetwosavagehordeswhichhadbeenthreateningtheland.Thefinances,too,hadbeenrestored.Thereasonswhichhadmadesomanyfavourtheannexationwereweakenedbytheverypowerwhichhadeveryinterestinpreservingthem. Itcannotbetoooftenpointedoutthatinthisannexation,thestarting-pointofourtroubles,GreatBritain,howevermistakenshemayhavebeen,hadnoobviousselfishinterestinview.TherewerenoRandminesinthosedays,norwasthereanythinginthecountrytotemptthemostcovetous.Anemptytreasuryandtwonativewarswerethereversionwhichwetookover.Itwashonestlyconsideredthatthecountrywasintoodistractedastatetogovernitself,andhad,byitsweakness,becomeascandalandadangertoitsneighbours.Therewasnothingsordidinouraction,thoughitmayhavebeenbothinjudiciousandhigh-handed. InDecember1880theBoersrose.Everyfarmhousesentoutitsriflemen,andthetrysting-placewastheoutsideofthenearestBritishfort.Allthroughthecountrysmalldetachmentsweresurroundedandbesiegedbythefarmers.Standerton,Pretoria,Potchefstroom,Lydenburg,Wakkerstroom,Rustenberg,andMarabastadwereallinvestedandallheldoutuntiltheendofthewar.Intheopencountrywewerelessfortunate.AtBronkhorstSpruitasmallBritishforcewastakenbysurpriseandshotdownwithoutharmtotheirantagonists.Thesurgeonwhotreatedthemhasleftitonrecordthattheaveragenumberofwoundswasfiveperman.AtLaing'sNekaninferiorforceofBritishendeavouredtorushahillwhichwasheldbyBoerriflemen.Halfofourmenwerekilledandwounded.Ingogomaybecalledadrawnbattle,thoughourlosswasmoreheavythanthatoftheenemy.FinallycamethedefeatofMajubaHill,wherefourhundredinfantryuponamountainweredefeatedanddrivenoffbyaswarmofsharpshooterswhoadvancedunderthecoverofboulders.Ofalltheseactionstherewasnotonewhichwasmorethanaskirmish,andhadtheybeenfollowedbyafinalBritishvictorytheywouldnowbehardlyremembered.Itisthefactthattheywereskirmisheswhichsucceededintheirobjectwhichhasgiventhemanimportancewhichisexaggerated.Atthesametimetheymaymarkthebeginningofanewmilitaryera,fortheydrovehomethefact—onlytoobadlylearnedbyus—thatitistherifleandnotthedrillwhichmakesthesoldier.ItisbewilderingthataftersuchanexperiencetheBritishmilitaryauthoritiescontinuedtoserveoutonlythreehundredcartridgesayearforriflepractice,andthattheystillencouragedthatmechanicalvolleyfiringwhichdestroysallindividualaim.WiththeexperienceofthefirstBoerwarbehindthem,littlewasdone,eitherintacticsorinmusketry,topreparethesoldierforthesecond.Thevalueofthemountedrifleman,theshootingwithaccuracyatunknownranges,theartoftakingcover—allwereequallyneglected. ThedefeatatMajubaHillwasfollowedbythecompletesurrenderoftheGladstonianGovernment,anactwhichwaseitherthemostpusillanimousorthemostmagnanimousinrecenthistory.Itishardforthebigmantodrawawayfromthesmallbeforeblowsarestruckbutwhenthebigmanhasbeenknockeddownthreetimesitisharderstill.AnoverwhelmingBritishforcewasinthefield,andtheGeneraldeclaredthatheheldtheenemyinthehollowofhishand.Ourmilitarycalculationshavebeenfalsifiedbeforenowbythesefarmers,anditmaybethatthetaskofWoodandRobertswouldhavebeenharderthantheyimaginedbutonpaper,atleast,itlookedasiftheenemycouldbecrushedwithoutdifficulty.Sothepublicthought,andyettheyconsentedtotheupraisedswordbein