CHAPTER 3. THE NEGOTIATIONS.

TheBritishGovernmentandtheBritishpeopledonotdesireanydirectauthorityinSouthAfrica.TheironesupremeinterestisthatthevariousStatesthereshouldliveinconcordandprosperity,andthatthereshouldbenoneedforthepresenceofaBritishredcoatwithinthewholegreatpeninsula.Ourforeigncritics,withtheirmisapprehensionoftheBritishcolonialsystem,canneverrealisethatwhetherthefour-colouredflagoftheTransvaalortheUnionJackofaself-governingcolonywavedoverthegoldmineswouldnotmakethedifferenceofoneshillingtotherevenueofGreatBritain.TheTransvaalasaBritishprovincewouldhaveitsownlegislature,itsownrevenue,itsownexpenditure,anditsowntariffagainstthemothercountry,aswellasagainsttherestoftheworld,andEnglandbenonethericherforthechange.ThisissoobvioustoaBritonthathehasceasedtoinsistuponit,anditisforthatreasonperhapsthatitissouniversallymisunderstoodabroad.Ontheotherhand,whilesheisnogainerbythechange,mostoftheexpenseofitinbloodandinmoneyfallsuponthehomecountry.Onthefaceofit,therefore,GreatBritainhadeveryreasontoavoidsoformidableataskastheconquestoftheSouthAfricanRepublic.Atthebestshehadnothingtogain,andattheworstshehadanimmensedealtolose.Therewasnoroomforambitionoraggression.Itwasacaseofshirkingorfulfillingamostarduousduty. TherecouldbenoquestionofaplotfortheannexationoftheTransvaal.InafreecountrytheGovernmentcannotmoveinadvanceofpublicopinion,andpublicopinionisinfluencedbyandreflectedinthenewspapers.Onemayexaminethefilesofthepressduringallthemonthsofnegotiationsandneverfindonereputableopinioninfavourofsuchacourse,nordidoneinsocietyevermeetanadvocateofsuchameasure.Butagreatwrongwasbeingdone,andallthatwasaskedwastheminimumchangewhichwouldsetitright,andrestoreequalitybetweenthewhiteracesinAfrica.'LetKrugeronlybeliberalintheextensionofthefranchise,'saidthepaperwhichismostrepresentativeofthesanestBritishopinion,'andhewillfindthatthepoweroftherepublicwillbecomenotweaker,butinfinitelymoresecure.Lethimoncegivethemajorityoftheresidentmalesoffullagethefullvote,andhewillhavegiventherepublicastabilityandpowerwhichnothingelsecan.Ifherejectsallpleasofthiskind,andpersistsinhispresentpolicy,hemaypossiblystaveofftheevilday,andpreservehischerishedoligarchyforanotherfewyearsbuttheendwillbethesame.'TheextractreflectsthetoneofalloftheBritishpress,withtheexceptionofoneortwopaperswhichconsideredthateventhepersistentillusageofourpeople,andthefactthatwewerepeculiarlyresponsiblefortheminthisState,didnotjustifyusininterferingintheinternalaffairsoftherepublic.ItcannotbedeniedthattheJamesonraidandtheincompletemannerinwhichthecircumstancesconnectedwithithadbeeninvestigatedhadweakenedtheforceofthosewhowishedtointerfereenergeticallyonbehalfofBritishsubjects.Therewasavaguebutwidespreadfeelingthatperhapsthecapitalistswereengineeringthesituationfortheirownends.Itisdifficulttoimaginehowastateofunrestandinsecurity,tosaynothingofastateofwar,caneverbetotheadvantageofcapital,andsurelyitisobviousthatifsomearch-schemerwereusingthegrievancesoftheUitlandersforhisownendsthebestwaytocheckmatehimwouldbetoremovethosegrievances.Thesuspicion,however,didexistamongthosewholiketoignoretheobviousandmagnifytheremote,andthroughoutthenegotiationsthehandofGreatBritainwasweakened,asheradversaryhaddoubtlesscalculatedthatitwouldbe,byanearnestbutfussyandfaddyminority.Idealismandamorbid,restlessconscientiousnessaretwoofthemostdangerousevilsfromwhichamodernprogressiveStatehastosuffer. ItwasinApril1899thattheBritishUitlanderssenttheirpetitionprayingforprotectiontotheirnativecountry.SincetheAprilpreviousacorrespondencehadbeengoingonbetweenDr.Leyds,SecretaryofStatefortheSouthAfricanRepublic,andMr.Chamberlain,ColonialSecretary,upontheexistenceornon-existenceofthesuzerainty.Ontheonehand,itwascontendedthatthesubstitutionofasecondconventionhadentirelyannulledthefirstontheother,thatthepreambleofthefirstappliedalsotothesecond.IftheTransvaalcontentionwerecorrectitisclearthatGreatBritainhadbeentrickedandjockeyedintosuchaposition,sinceshehadreceivednoq