CHAPTER 3. THE NEGOTIATIONS.

masectionofherMajesty'ssubjects.Iregrettosaythatthisdoctrine,supportedasitisbyaceaselessstreamofmalignantliesabouttheintentionsofherMajesty'sGovernment,isproducingagreateffectonalargenumberofourDutchfellowcolonists.LanguageisfrequentlyusedwhichseemstoimplythattheDutchhavesomesuperiorright,eveninthiscolony,totheirfellow-citizensofBritishbirth.Thousandsofmenpeaceablydisposed,andifleftaloneperfectlysatisfiedwiththeirpositionasBritishsubjects,arebeingdrawnintodisaffection,andthereisacorrespondingexasperationuponthepartoftheBritish. 'IcanseenothingwhichwillputastoptothismischievouspropagandabutsomestrikingproofoftheintentionofherMajesty'sGovernmentnottobeoustedfromitspositioninSouthAfrica.' SuchwerethegraveandmeasuredwordswithwhichtheBritishpro-consulwarnedhiscountrymenofwhatwastocome.Hesawthestorm-cloudpilinginthenorth,butevenhiseyeshadnotyetdiscernedhownearandhowterriblewasthetempest. ThroughouttheendofJuneandtheearlypartofJulymuchwashopedfromthemediationoftheheadsoftheAfrikanderBond,thepoliticalunionoftheDutchCapecolonists.Ontheonehand,theywerethekinsmenoftheBoersontheother,theywereBritishsubjects,andwereenjoyingtheblessingsofthoseliberalinstitutionswhichwewereanxioustoseeextendedtotheTransvaal.'Onlytreatourfolkaswetreatyours!Ourwholecontentionwascompressedintothatprayer.Butnothingcameofthemission,thoughaschemeendorsedbyMr.HofmeyerandMr.Herholdt,oftheBond,withMr.FischeroftheFreeState,wasintroducedintotheRaadandapplaudedbyMr.Schreiner,theAfricanderPremierofCapeColony.Initsoriginalformtheprovisionswereobscureandcomplicated,thefranchisevaryingfromnineyearstosevenunderdifferentconditions.Indebate,however,thetermswereamendeduntilthetimewasreducedtosevenyears,andtheproposedrepresentationofthegoldfieldsplacedatfive.Theconcessionwasnotagreatone,norcouldtherepresentation,fiveoutofthirty-one,beconsideredagenerousprovisionforthemajorityofthepopulationbutthereductionoftheyearsofresidencewaseagerlyhailedinEnglandasasignthatacompromisemightbeeffected.Asighofreliefwentupfromthecountry.'If,'saidtheColonialSecretary,'thisreportisconfirmed,thisimportantchangeintheproposalsofPresidentKruger,coupledwithpreviousamendments,leadsGovernmenttohopethatthenewlawmayprovetobethebasisofasettlementonthelineslaiddownbySirAlfredMilnerintheBloemfonteinConference.'Headdedthatthereweresomevexatiousconditionsattached,butconcluded,'HerMajesty'sGovernmentfeelassuredthatthePresident,havingacceptedtheprincipleforwhichtheyhavecontended,willbepreparedtoreconsideranydetailofhisschemewhichcanbeshowntobeapossiblehindrancetothefullaccomplishmentoftheobjectinview,andthathewillnotallowthemtobenullifiedorreducedinvaluebyanysubsequentalterationsofthelaworactsofadministration.'Atthesametime,the'Times'declaredthecrisistobeatanend.'IftheDutchstatesmenoftheCapehaveinducedtheirbrethrenintheTransvaaltocarrysuchaBill,theywillhavedeservedthelastinggratitude,notonlyoftheirowncountrymenandoftheEnglishcolonistsinSouthAfrica,butoftheBritishEmpireandofthecivilisedworld.' Butthisfairprospectwassoondestinedtobeovercast.Questionsofdetailarosewhich,whencloselyexamined,provedtobemattersofveryessentialimportance.TheUitlandersandBritishSouthAfricans,whohadexperiencedinthepasthowillusorythepromisesofthePresidentmightbe,insisteduponguarantees.ThesevenyearsofferedweretwoyearsmorethanthatwhichSirAlfredMilnerhaddeclaredtobeanirreducibleminimum.Thedifferenceoftwoyearswouldnothavehinderedtheiracceptance,evenattheexpenseofsomehumiliationtoourrepresentative.Buttherewereconditionswhichexciteddistrustwhendrawnupbysowilyadiplomatist.Onewasthatthealienwhoaspiredtoburghershiphadtoproduceacertificateofcontinuousregistrationforacertaintime.ButthelawofregistrationhadfallenintodisuseintheTransvaal,andconsequentlythisprovisionmightrenderthewholeBillvalueless.Sinceitwascarefullyretained,itwascertainlymeantforuse.Thedoorhadbeenopened,butastonewasplacedtoblockit.Again,thecontinuedburghershipofthenewcomerswasmadetodependup