CHAPTER 1. THE BOER NATIONS.

gstayed.Withthem,asapartfromthepoliticians,themotivewasundoubtedlyamoralandChristianone.TheyconsideredthattheannexationoftheTransvaalhadevidentlybeenaninjustice,thatthefarmershadarighttothefreedomforwhichtheyfought,andthatitwasanunworthythingforagreatnationtocontinueanunjustwarforthesakeofamilitaryrevenge.Itwastheheightofidealism,andtheresulthasnotbeensuchastoencourageitsrepetition. AnarmisticewasconcludedonMarch5th,1881,whichleduptoapeaceonthe23rdofthesamemonth.TheGovernment,afteryieldingtoforcewhatithadrepeatedlyrefusedtofriendlyrepresentations,madeaclumsycompromiseintheirsettlement.ApolicyofidealismandChristianmoralityshouldhavebeenthoroughifitweretobetriedatall.Itwasobviousthatiftheannexationwereunjust,thentheTransvaalshouldhaverevertedtotheconditioninwhichitwasbeforetheannexation,asdefinedbytheSandRiverConvention.ButtheGovernmentforsomereasonwouldnotgosofarasthis.TheyniggledandquibbledandbargaineduntiltheStatewasleftasacurioushybridthingsuchastheworldhasneverseen.Itwasarepublicwhichwaspartofthesystemofamonarchy,dealtwithbytheColonialOffice,andincludedundertheheadingof'Colonies'inthenewscolumnsofthe'Times.'Itwasautonomous,andyetsubjecttosomevaguesuzerainty,thelimitsofwhichnoonehaseverbeenabletodefine.Altogether,initsprovisionsandinitsomissions,theConventionofPretoriaappearstoprovethatourpoliticalaffairswereasbadlyconductedasourmilitaryinthisunfortunateyearof1881. Itwasevidentfromthefirstthatsoillogicalandcontentiousanagreementcouldnotpossiblyprovetobeafinalsettlement,andindeedtheinkofthesignatureswashardlydrybeforeanagitationwasonfootforitsrevision.TheBoersconsidered,andwithjustice,thatiftheyweretobeleftasundisputedvictorsinthewarthentheyshouldhavethefullfruitsofvictory.Ontheotherhand,theEnglish-speakingcolonieshadtheirallegiancetestedtotheuttermost.TheproudAnglo-Celticstockisnotaccustomedtobehumbled,andyettheyfoundthemselvesthroughtheactionofthehomeGovernmentconvertedintomembersofabeatenrace.ItwasverywellforthecitizenofLondontoconsolehiswoundedpridebythethoughtthathehaddoneamagnanimousaction,butitwasdifferentwiththeBritishcolonistofDurbanorCapeTown,whobynoactofhisown,andwithoutanyvoiceinthesettlement,foundhimselfhumiliatedbeforehisDutchneighbour.Anuglyfeelingofresentmentwasleftbehind,whichmightperhapshavepassedawayhadtheTransvaalacceptedthesettlementinthespiritinwhichitwasmeant,butwhichgrewmoreandmoredangerousasduringeighteenyearsourpeoplesaw,orthoughtthattheysaw,thatoneconcessionledalwaystoafreshdemand,andthattheDutchrepublicsaimednotmerelyatequality,butatdominanceinSouthAfrica.ProfessorBryce,afriendlycritic,afterapersonalexaminationofthecountryandthequestion,hasleftituponrecordthattheBoerssawneithergenerositynorhumanityinourconduct,butonlyfear.Anoutspokenrace,theyconveyedtheirfeelingstotheirneighbours.CanitbewonderedatthatSouthAfricahasbeeninafermenteversince,andthattheBritishAfricanderhasyearnedwithanintensityoffeelingunknowninEnglandforthehourofrevenge? TheGovernmentoftheTransvaalafterthewarwasleftinthehandsofatriumvirate,butafteroneyearKrugerbecamePresident,anofficewhichhecontinuedtoholdforeighteenyears.HiscareerasrulervindicatesthewisdomofthatwisebutunwrittenprovisionoftheAmericanConstitutionbywhichthereisalimittothetenureofthisoffice.Continuedruleforhalfagenerationmustturnamanintoanautocrat.TheoldPresidenthassaidhimself,inhishomelybutshrewdway,thatwhenonegetsagoodoxtoleadtheteamitisapitytochangehim.Ifagoodox,however,islefttochoosehisowndirectionwithoutguidance,hemaydrawhiswagonintotrouble. DuringthreeyearsthelittleStateshowedsignsofatumultuousactivity.ConsideringthatitwasaslargeasFranceandthatthepopulationcouldnothavebeenmorethan50,000,onewouldhavethoughtthattheymighthavefoundroomwithoutanyinconvenientcrowding.Buttheburgherspassedbeyondtheirbordersineverydirection.ThePresidentcriedaloudthathehadbeenshutupinakraal,andheproceededtofindwaysoutofit.Agreattrekwasprojectedforthenorth,butfortunatelyitmiscarried.TotheeasttheyraidedZululand,andsucceeded,indefianceoftheBritishsettlementofthatcountry,intearingawayonethirdofitandaddingittotheTransvaal.Tothewest,withnoregardtothethree-year-oldtreaty,theyinvadedBechuanaland,andsetupthetwonewrepublicsofGoshenandStellaland.SooutrageousweretheseproceedingsthatGreatBritainwasforcedtofitoutin1884anewexpeditionunderSirCharlesWarrenforthepurposeofturningthesefreebootersoutofthecountry.Itmaybeasked,whyshouldthesemenbecalledfreebootersifthefoundersofRhodesiawerepioneers?TheansweristhattheTransvaalwaslimitedbytreatytocertainboundarieswhichthesementransgressed,whilenopledgeswerebrokenwhentheBritishpowerexpandedtothenorth.TheupshotofthesetrespasseswasthesceneuponwhicheverydramaofSouthAfricaringsdown.Oncemorethepursewasdrawnfromthepocketoftheunhappytaxpayer,andamillionorsowaspaidouttodefraytheexpensesofthepoliceforcenecessarytokeepthesetreaty-breakersinorder.LetthisbeborneinmindwhenweassessthemoralandmaterialdamagedonetotheTransvaalbythatill-conceivedandfoolishenterprise,theJamesonRaid. In1884adeputationfromtheTransvaalvisitedEngland,andattheirsolicitationtheclumsyTreatyofPretoriawasalteredintothestillmoreclumsyConventionofLondon.ThechangesintheprovisionswereallinfavouroftheBoers,andasecondsuccessfulwarcouldhardlyhavegiventhemmorethanLordDerbyhandedthemintimeofpeace.TheirstylewasalteredfromtheTransvaaltotheSouthAfricanRepublic,achangewhichwasominouslysuggestiveofexpansioninthefuture.ThecontrolofGreatBritainovertheirforeignpolicywasalsorelaxed,thoughapowerofvetowasretained.Butthemostimportantthingofall,andthefruitfulcauseoffuturetrouble,layinanomission.Asuzeraintyisavagueterm,butinpolitics,asintheology,themorenebulousathingisthemoredoesitexcitetheimaginationandthepassionsofmen.Thissuzeraintywasdeclaredinthepreambleofthefirsttreaty,andnomentionofitwasmadeinthesecond.Wasittherebyabrogatedorwasitnot?TheBritishcontentionwasthatonlythearticleswerechanged,andthatthepreamblecontinuedtoholdgoodforbothtreaties.Theypointedoutthatnotonlythesuzerainty,butalsotheindependence,oftheTransvaalwasproclaimedinthatpreamble,andthatifonelapsedtheothermustdosoalso.Ontheotherhand,theBoerspointedtothefactthattherewasactuallyapreambletothesecondConvention,whichwouldseem,therefore,tohavetakentheplaceofthefirst.Thepointissotechnicalthatitappearstobeeminentlyoneofthosequestionswhichmightwithproprietyhavebeensubmittedtothedecisionofaboardofforeignjurists—orpossiblytotheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStates.IfthedecisionhadbeengivenagainstGreatBritain,wemighthaveaccepteditinachastenedspiritasafittingpunishmentforthecarelessnessoftherepresentativewhofailedtomakeourmeaningintelligible.Carlylehassaidthatapoliticalmistakealwaysendsinabrokenheadforsomebody.Unfortunatelythesomebodyisusuallysomebodyelse.Wehavereadthestoryofthepoliticalmistakes.Onlytoosoonweshallcometothebrokenheads. This,then,isasynopsisofwhathadoccurreduptothesigningoftheConvention,whichfinallyestablished,orfailedtoestablish,thepositionoftheSouthAfricanRepublic.Wemustnowleavethelargerquestions,anddescendtotheinternalaffairsofthatsmallState,andespeciallytothattrainofeventswhichhasstirredthemindofourpeoplemorethananythingsincetheIndianMutiny.