CHAPTER 3. THE NEGOTIATIONS.

ontheresolutionofthefirstRaad,sothatshouldtheminingmembersproposeanymeasureofreform,notonlytheirBillbuttheyalsomightbesweptoutofthehousebyaBoermajority.WhatcouldanOppositiondoifavoteoftheGovernmentmightatanymomentunseatthemall?ItwasclearthatameasurewhichcontainedsuchprovisionsmustbeverycarefullysiftedbeforeaBritishGovernmentcouldacceptitasafinalsettlementandacompleteconcessionofjusticetoitssubjects.Ontheotherhand,itnaturallyfeltlothtorefusethoseclauseswhichofferedsomeprospectofanameliorationintheircondition.Ittookthecourse,therefore,ofsuggestingthateachGovernmentshouldappointdelegatestoformajointcommissionwhichshouldinquireintotheworkingoftheproposedBillbeforeitwasputintoafinalform.TheproposalwassubmittedtotheRaaduponAugust7th,withtheadditionthatwhenthiswasdoneSirAlfredMilnerwaspreparedtodiscussanythingelse,includingarbitrationwithouttheinterferenceofforeignpowers. Thesuggestionofthisjointcommissionhasbeencriticisedasanunwarrantableintrusionintotheinternalaffairsofanothercountry.Butthenthewholequestionfromthebeginningwasabouttheinternalaffairsofanothercountry,sincetheinternalequalityofthewhiteinhabitantswastheconditionuponwhichself-governmentwasrestoredtotheTransvaal.Itisfutiletosuggestanalogies,andtoimaginewhatFrancewoulddoifGermanyweretointerfereinaquestionofFrenchfranchise.SupposingthatFrancecontainedasmanyGermansasFrenchmen,andthattheywereill-treated,Germanywouldinterferequicklyenoughandcontinuetodosountilsomefairmodusvivendiwasestablished.ThefactisthatthecaseoftheTransvaalstandsalone,thatsuchaconditionofthingshasneverbeenknown,andthatnopreviousprecedentcanapplytoit,savethegeneralrulethataminorityofwhitemencannotcontinueindefinitelytotaxandgovernamajority.Sentimentinclinestothesmallernation,butreasonandjusticeareallonthesideofEngland. AlongdelayfollowedupontheproposaloftheSecretaryoftheColonies.NoreplywasforthcomingfromPretoria.ButonallsidestherecameevidencethatthosepreparationsforwarwhichhadbeenquietlygoingonevenbeforetheJamesonraidwerenowbeinghurriedlyperfected.ForsosmallaStateenormoussumswerebeingspentuponmilitaryequipment.Casesofriflesandboxesofcartridgesstreamedintothearsenal,notonlyfromDelagoaBay,buteven,totheindignationoftheEnglishcolonists,throughCapeTownandPortElizabeth.Hugepacking-cases,marked'AgriculturalInstruments'and'MiningMachinery,'arrivedfromGermanyandFrance,tofindtheirplacesinthefortsofJohannesburgorPretoria.MenofmanynationsbutofasimilartypeshowedtheirmartialfacesintheBoertowns.ThecondottieriofEuropewereasreadyasevertoselltheirbloodforgold,andnoblyintheenddidtheyfulfilltheirshareofthebargain.ForthreeweeksandmoreduringwhichMr.Krugerwassilenttheseeloquentpreparationswenton.Butbeyondthem,andofinfinitelymoreimportance,therewasonefactwhichdominatedthesituation.Aburghercannotgotowarwithouthishorse,hishorsecannotmovewithoutgrass,grasswillnotcomeuntilafterrain,anditwasstillsomeweeksbeforetherainwouldbedue.Negotiations,then,mustnotbeundulyhurriedwhiletheveldwasabarerusset-coloureddust-sweptplain.Mr.ChamberlainandtheBritishpublicwaitedweekafterweekfortheiranswer.Buttherewasalimittotheirpatience,anditwasreachedonAugust26th,whentheColonialSecretaryshowed,withaplainnessofspeechwhichisasunusualasitiswelcomeindiplomacy,thatthequestioncouldnotbehungupforever.'Thesandsarerunningdownintheglass,'saidhe.'Iftheyrunout,weshallnotholdourselveslimitedbythatwhichwehavealreadyoffered,but,havingtakenthematterinhand,wewillnotletitgountilwehavesecuredconditionswhichonceforallshallestablishwhichistheparamountpowerinSouthAfrica,andshallsecureforourfellow-subjectstherethoseequalrightsandequalprivilegeswhichwerepromisedthembyPresidentKrugerwhentheindependenceoftheTransvaalwasgrantedbytheQueen,andwhichistheleastthatinjusticeoughttobeaccordedthem.'LordSalisbury,alittletimebefore,hadbeenequallyemphatic.'NooneinthiscountrywishestodisturbtheconventionssolongasitisrecognisedthatwhiletheyguaranteetheindependenceoftheTransvaalontheoneside,theyguaranteee