CHAPTER 2. THE CAUSE OF QUARREL.

whichaStatereapsfromaliberalpolicy.TohimitwasasiftheAmmonitesandMoabiteshaddemandedadmissionintothetwelvetribes.HemistookanagitationagainsttheexclusivepolicyoftheStateforoneagainsttheexistenceoftheStateitself.Awidefranchisewouldhavemadehisrepublicfirm-basedandpermanent.ItwasasmallminorityoftheUitlanderswhohadanydesiretocomeintotheBritishsystem.Theywereacosmopolitancrowd,onlyunitedbythebondofacommoninjustice.Butwheneveryothermethodhadfailed,andtheirpetitionfortherightsoffreemenhadbeenflungbackatthem,itwasnaturalthattheireyesshouldturntothatflagwhichwavedtothenorth,thewest,andthesouthofthem—theflagwhichmeanspurityofgovernmentwithequalrightsandequaldutiesforallmen.Constitutionalagitationwaslaidaside,armsweresmuggledin,andeverythingpreparedforanorganisedrising. Theeventswhichfollowedatthebeginningof1896havebeensothrashedoutthatthereis,perhaps,nothinglefttotell—exceptthetruth.SofarastheUitlandersthemselvesareconcerned,theiractionwasmostnaturalandjustifiable,andtheyhavenoreasontoexculpatethemselvesforrisingagainstsuchoppressionasnomenofourracehaveeverbeensubmittedto.Hadtheytrustedonlytothemselvesandthejusticeoftheircause,theirmoralandeventheirmaterialpositionwouldhavebeeninfinitelystronger.Butunfortunatelytherewereforcesbehindthemwhichweremorequestionable,thenatureandextentofwhichhaveneveryet,inspiteoftwocommissionsofinvestigation,beenproperlyrevealed.Thatthereshouldhavebeenanyattemptatmisleadinginquiry,orsuppressingdocumentsinordertoshelterindividuals,isdeplorable,fortheimpressionleft—Ibelieveanentirelyfalseone—mustbethattheBritishGovernmentconnivedatanexpeditionwhichwasasimmoralasitwasdisastrous. Ithadbeenarrangedthatthetownwastoriseuponacertainnight,thatPretoriashouldbeattacked,thefortseized,andtheriflesandammunitionusedtoarmtheUitlanders.Itwasafeasibledevice,thoughitmustseemtous,whohavehadsuchanexperienceofthemilitaryvirtuesoftheburghers,averydesperateone.ButitisconceivablethattherebelsmighthaveheldJohannesburguntiltheuniversalsympathywhichtheircauseexcitedthroughoutSouthAfricawouldhavecausedGreatBritaintointervene.Unfortunatelytheyhadcomplicatedmattersbyaskingforoutsidehelp.Mr.CecilRhodeswasPremieroftheCape,amanofimmenseenergy,andonewhohadrenderedgreatservicestotheempire.Themotivesofhisactionareobscure—certainly,wemaysaythattheywerenotsordid,forhehasalwaysbeenamanwhosethoughtswerelargeandwhosehabitsweresimple.Butwhatevertheymayhavebeen—whetheranill-regulateddesiretoconsolidateSouthAfricaunderBritishrule,oraburningsympathywiththeUitlandersintheirfightagainstinjustice—itiscertainthatheallowedhislieutenant,Dr.Jameson,toassemblethemountedpoliceoftheCharteredCompany,ofwhichRhodeswasfounderanddirector,forthepurposeofco-operatingwiththerebelsatJohannesburg.Moreover,whentherevoltatJohannesburgwaspostponed,onaccountofadisagreementastowhichflagtheyweretoriseunder,itappearsthatJameson(withorwithouttheordersofRhodes)forcedthehandoftheconspiratorsbyinvadingthecountrywithaforceabsurdlyinadequatetotheworkwhichhehadtakeninhand.FivehundredpolicemenandthreefieldgunsmadeuptheforlornhopewhostartedfromnearMafekingandcrossedtheTransvaalborderuponDecember29th,1895.OnJanuary2ndtheyweresurroundedbytheBoersamidthebrokencountrynearDornkop,andafterlosingmanyoftheirnumberkilledandwounded,withoutfoodandwithspenthorses,theywerecompelledtolaydowntheirarms.Sixburgherslosttheirlivesintheskirmish. TheUitlandershavebeenseverelycriticisedfornothavingsentoutaforcetohelpJamesoninhisdifficulties,butitisimpossibletoseehowtheycouldhaveactedinanyothermanner.TheyhaddonealltheycouldtopreventJamesoncomingtotheirrelief,andnowitwasratherunreasonabletosupposethattheyshouldrelievetheirreliever.Indeed,theyhadanentirelyexaggeratedideaofthestrengthoftheforcewhichhewasbringing,andreceivedthenewsofhiscapturewithincredulity.Whenitbecameconfirmedtheyrose,butinahalfheartedfashionwhichwasnotduetowantofcourage,buttothedifficultiesoftheirposition.Ontheonehand,theBritishGovernmentdisownedJamesonentirely,anddidallitcouldtodiscouragetherisingontheother,thePresidenthadtheraidersinhiskeepingatPretoria,andletitbeunderstoodthattheirfatedependeduponthebehaviouroftheUitlanders.TheywereledtobelievethatJamesonwouldbeshotunlesstheylaiddowntheirarms,though,asamatteroffact,Jamesonandhispeoplehadsurrendereduponapromiseofquarter.SoskillfullydidKrugerusehishostagesthathesucceeded,withthehelpoftheBritishCommissioner,ingettingthethousandsofexcitedJohannesburgerstolaydowntheirarmswithoutbloodshed.Completelyout-manoeuvredbytheastuteoldPresident,theleadersofthereformmovementusedalltheirinfluenceinthedirectionofpeace,thinkingthatageneralamnestywouldfollowbutthemomentthattheyandtheirpeoplewerehelplessthedetectivesandarmedburghersoccupiedthetown,andsixtyoftheirnumberwerehurriedtoPretoriaGaol. TotheraidersthemselvesthePresidentbehavedwithgreatgenerosity.Perhapshecouldnotfinditinhishearttobeharshtothemenwhohadmanagedtoputhimintherightandwonforhimthesympathyoftheworld.Hisownilliberalandoppressivetreatmentofthenewcomerswasforgotteninthefaceofthisillegalinroadoffilibusters.Thetrueissuesweresoobscuredbythisintrusionthatithastakenyearstoclearthem,andperhapstheywillneverbewhollycleared.Itwasforgottenthatitwasthebadgovernmentofthecountrywhichwastherealcauseoftheunfortunateraid.Fromthenonwardsthegovernmentmightgrowworseandworse,butitwasalwayspossibletopointtotheraidasjustifyingeverything.WeretheUitlanderstohavet