CHAPTER 2. THE CAUSE OF QUARREL.

hefranchise?Howcouldtheyexpectitaftertheraid?WouldBritainobjecttotheenormousimportationofarmsandobviouspreparationsforwar?Theywereonlyprecautionsagainstasecondraid.Foryearstheraidstoodintheway,notonlyofallprogress,butofallremonstrance.Throughanactionoverwhichtheyhadnocontrol,andwhichtheyhaddonetheirbesttoprevent,theBritishGovernmentwasleftwithabadcaseandaweakenedmoralauthority. Theraidersweresenthome,wheretherankandfilewereveryproperlyreleased,andthechiefofficerswerecondemnedtotermsofimprisonmentwhichcertainlydidnoterruponthesideofseverity.CecilRhodeswasleftunpunished,heretainedhisplaceinthePrivyCouncil,andhisCharteredCompanycontinuedtohaveacorporateexistence.Thiswasillogicalandinconclusive.AsKrugersaid,'Itisnotthedogwhichshouldbebeaten,butthemanwhosethimontome.'Publicopinion—inspiteof,oronaccountof,acrowdofwitnesses—wasillinformedupontheexactbearingsofthequestion,anditwasobviousthatasDutchsentimentattheCapeappearedalreadytobethoroughlyhostiletous,itwouldbedangeroustoalienatetheBritishAfricandersalsobymakingamartyroftheirfavouriteleader.Butwhateverargumentsmaybefoundeduponexpediency,itisclearthattheBoersbitterlyresented,andwithjustice,theimmunityofRhodes. Inthemeantime,bothPresidentKrugerandhisburghershadshownagreaterseveritytothepoliticalprisonersfromJohannesburgthantothearmedfollowersofJameson.Thenationalityoftheseprisonersisinterestingandsuggestive.Thereweretwenty-threeEnglishmen,sixteenSouthAfricans,nineScotchmen,sixAmericans,twoWelshmen,oneIrishman,oneAustralian,oneHollander,oneBavarian,oneCanadian,oneSwiss,andoneTurk.TheprisonerswerearrestedinJanuary,butthetrialdidnottakeplaceuntiltheendofApril.Allwerefoundguiltyofhightreason.Mr.LionelPhillips,ColonelRhodes(brotherofMr.CecilRhodes),GeorgeFarrar,andMr.Hammond,theAmericanengineer,werecondemnedtodeath,asentencewhichwasafterwardscommutedtothepaymentofanenormousfine.Theotherprisonerswerecondemnedtotwoyears'imprisonment,withafineof2000poundseach.Theimprisonmentwasofthemostarduousandtryingsort,andwasembitteredbytheharshnessofthegaoler,DuPlessis.Oneoftheunfortunatemencuthisthroat,andseveralfellseriouslyill,thedietandthesanitaryconditionsbeingequallyunhealthy.AtlastattheendofMayalltheprisonersbutsixwerereleased.Fourofthesixsoonfollowed,twostalwarts,SampsonandDavies,refusingtosignanypetitionandremaininginprisonuntiltheyweresetfreein1897.AltogethertheTransvaalGovernmentreceivedinfinesfromthereformprisonerstheenormoussumof212,000pounds.AcertaincomicreliefwasimmediatelyafterwardsgiventosograveanepisodebythepresentationofabilltoGreatBritainfor1,677,938pounds3shillingsand3pence—thegreaterpartofwhichwasundertheheadingofmoralandintellectualdamage. Theraidwaspastandthereformmovementwaspast,butthecauseswhichproducedthembothremained.Itishardlyconceivablethatastatesmanwholovedhiscountrywouldhaverefrainedfrommakingsomeefforttoremoveastateofthingswhichhadalreadycausedsuchgravedangers,andwhichmustobviouslybecomemoreseriouswitheveryyearthatpassed.ButPaulKrugerhadhardenedhisheart,andwasnottobemoved.ThegrievancesoftheUitlandersbecameheavierthanever.Theonepowerinthelandtowhichtheyhadbeenabletoappealforsomesortofredressamidtheirgrievanceswasthelawcourts.NowitwasdecreedthatthecourtsshouldbedependentontheVolksraad.TheChiefJusticeprotestedagainstsuchadegradationofhishighoffice,andhewasdismissedinconsequencewithoutapension.Thejudgewhohadcondemnedthereformerswaschosentofillthevacancy,andtheprotectionofafixedlawwaswithdrawnfromtheUitlanders. AcommissionappointedbytheStatewassenttoexamineintotheconditionoftheminingindustryandthegrievancesfromwhichthenewcomerssuffered.ThechairmanwasMr.SchalkBurger,oneofthemostliberaloftheBoers,andtheproceedingswerethoroughandimpartial.Theresultwasareportwhichamplyvindicatedthereformers,andsuggestedremedieswhichwouldhavegonealongwaytowardssatisfyingtheUitlanders.Withsuchenlightenedlegislationtheirmotivesforseekingthefranchisewouldhavebeenlesspressing.ButthePresidentandhisRaadwouldhavenoneoftherecommendationsofthecommission.TheruggedoldautocratdeclaredthatSchalkBurgerwasatraitortohiscountryforhavingsignedsuchadocument,andanewreactionarycommitteewaschosentoreportuponthereport.Wordsandpapersweretheonlyoutcomeoftheaffair.Noameliorationcametothenewcomers.Butatleasttheyhadagainputtheircasepubliclyuponrecord,andithadbeenendorsedbythemostrespectedoftheburghers.GraduallyinthepressoftheEnglish-speakingcountriestheraidwasceasingtoobscuretheissue.Moreandmoreclearlyitwascomingoutthatnopermanentsettlementwaspossiblewherethemajorityofthepopulationwasoppressedbytheminority.Theyhadtriedpeacefulmeansandfailed.Theyhadtriedwarlikemeansandfailed.Whatwasthereleftforthemtodo?Theirowncountry,theparamountpowerofSouthAfrica,hadneverhelpedthem.Perhapsifitweredirectlyappealedtoitmightdoso.Itcouldnot,ifonlyforthesakeofitsownimperialprestige,leaveitschildrenforeverinastateofsubjection.TheUitlandersdetermineduponapetitiontotheQueen,andindoingsotheybroughttheirgrievancesoutofthelimitsofalocalcontroversyintothebroaderfieldofinternationalpolitics.GreatBritainmusteitherprotectthemoracknowledgethattheirprotectionwasbeyondherpower.AdirectpetitiontotheQueenprayingforprotectionwassignedinApril1899bytwenty-onethousandUitlanders.Fromthattimeeventsmovedinevitablytowardstheoneend.Sometimesthesurfacewastroubledandsometimessmooth,butthestreamalwaysranswiftlyandtheroarofthefallsoundedeverlouderintheears.