The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-03-15 00:00:00

THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

I."IICW WITH MB. JOCHICHT.
The 4 ,iim Noes correspondent writes as follows
On Tbnradacr, at four o'clock in the afternoon. I had
au interview aith Mr. 4 oubert outside the liner c •mp.
He freely declared hi, vet s or, the subjec: of the
Transvaal. Mr. Joubert Noma Sir T. 4hepstone for
having consistently misrepresented and falsified tie
condition of things in dm Transvaal before the
annexation, and said that the Colonial Government
turned a deaf ear tit all proofs of the true state of
things. Since the annexation the Briers had never
been recognised in their own country, they had been
trodden down beneath a military despotism. Sir
Garnet Wolseley he blamed for disregarding public
and sending fa se statements of the same
home in spite of the protests of Mr. Jouliert, who
asked for i.ubjc meetings in order to be allowed to
get at the feeling of Ova l';rovry respecting annexat. .
tie was told that no seditious meetings would be
ellowod. Mr. Joidwit was moire that luel his advice
Area. jollowed by Sir Garnet Wolseley public Insetion,
held, awl ' esolutions passed, the Ingliah Govern.
ment would not have pendeted in the annexation.
since the annexation took plane the Boers had made
every effort to get a hearing of the true state of
matters They sent deputations to lengtand. but
were thmughout discredited. No proofs would Induce
the English Government to give credence to any but
on, the Boers
the false statements of the governing officers. After
took I,Paiptille:l:l6nadndc°isinticitluait.inioendal their independence,
feeling then confident that when the British haW how
universally this was desired, they would permit it with.
vet Woodshed. A lysiv of Boers were sent in Potchef-
Afyon tc. pilot a proclamation, and inetnicted to be
MAU, ptaceliel; to het the proclama,ion printed
and return to Mr. .10 sit. .I.t Potchefatroom these
men were fired on by the linglieh trwipe, by
order of Sir William Lanyon, although letters
bed been sent to every town, and to Sir
William ',anion, announcing their pacific intentions.
The firing on the Boers at Potchefstroom Mr. Joubert
considered a declaration or war. MelaSk." to that
effect were sent to all the tmops on the roads and to
all the towns by isat.cart, and a party was alai sent
meet to C.I. Aintrether and the Pith, instructed care-
fully to be peaceful and deliver hie letter, explaining
to the troops that war had been proclaimed in case
they had 11m 1. heard it already, and that they must
return. Mr. Joubert aisid he could not allow the troops
to concentrate in every town against hiin. ITer declamd
that his instructions were melded out. Tie tosips,
when met, were handed papers explaining that they
~ We... molested to return with their arms and colours,
and not vareist in their journey. The officer refusing,
was given ten miutitos to consider. Then, after his
refusal, ten more Minato, isr, prepare. Then, on the
flag of truce being lowered, firing commenced. Mr.
Jonbert declared that if BrMaker'e Spiuit was
• massacre, or an unfair fight, then he alone
was responsible. The Lambert and Elliot affair
he declared • murder, and said he was most
anxious to bring the delinquents to justice.
Mr. .foubert declared that the universal feeling in the
Transvaal at present was the desire to be free. He
agreed to the English flag being holded if required
once yearly, and to an English residential political
, officer loin' placed with the Transvaal Government;
,sthitel,l:n:uiglsainldi ,fffir.e,netrieto leg te .n al ne
r,,liie.tistai,,nt,,lt,,,rteive
fed
to ;11C
Engli.b Codmial Government. The independent
11"tj
Transvaal ivople as such would assist the general
welfare of the whole of South Africa, and would be
I
ready to most the the English Government in every

PrePoeltbm, except that of being annexed. Should
any schen', for a confwleration be pmposed the
Transvaal Republic would h. quite ready to join in
it, if it 'ere the general desire and a2ree-
tnent of all the other South African Colonies.
Throughout Mr. Joubert declared that the Boor
People had always dosir,,l an English protectorate and
no other. Annexation was not and is not understood
ky the universal opinion of the Dutch in the
Transvaal, except as a breach of all the conventions
and a breach of faith on the part of the English
Government. All the statements nuule by the English
representative officers of the annextaion being desired
by any section ,f the community he declared to be
false. Thome Boers who signed the documents for Sir
T. Shepmtone in connection with the annexation

question, did as from a false translation of what they
were signing. Much as all this libssished wan
regretted by the Hoer people. they were as ready as he
was to come to any arrang anent which did not include
annexat. . The military despotism under which
they had been held for the last two years had
determined them to fight to the last rather than submit
to being annexed. Mr. Joubert reiterated earnestly
that every ti.rht they win, matces them all sadder, not
exultant. He was ready, he said, to inake, every
possible concession for the sake"( twace.lint he would lay
down his life for the independence and freedom of hit
country, and would consider no tonne of pellet) which
included the annexation of the Transvaal. Mr.
Joubert thinks that in the p race negotiati.ms a settl,..
meat might be arrived at by the anima ,tian of the
portion of the Transvaal on this side the Vaal Hirer,
giving the Boers the Republic on the other side the
Vaal, the British Gowen 11111111 l to be n..couped for the
war expenses by this additional territory.