The sun., 1896-09-06

in Office who were interested in the mines,
matter Of fact 'S Mr. THS Cecil wisS RSodss's IN. M
terest in the Consolidated Gold Fields was but
but the development, OF his cherished plan
for combination OF all the South African re-
the revolution we can Imagine; that he would
have looked at q change OF government in tho
Of all the republics in south Africa ia most prob.
able, and he knew that to such union the Beers
OF themselves would never consent. But that
Transvaal for the sake of its gold mnos and for
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of Great Britain. and that
their lives IN the cause OF revolution were tho
puppets Of Rhodes, moving at his bidding. is
LUTON besides Cecil Rhodes. and il was perfectly
MSli Sn, ,S agreed among Am these msn that no flag
be raised when the revolution began. and what
eHs1 hs h1ssn@sn may have wished he the
who were In sympathy with the revolution, and
the Americans, which latter composed one sixth
OF the Reform Commttee. formed majority
country over to the Queen, and. as n matter OF
history; the Transyaal flag foated over the Gold
the rcvolutionists from the first to the last
Personally. am convinced, after having talked
with the men who were at the head of thi. revo-
luton, that the greater part of them as honestly
believed that they were acting for the best good
O. the SOunry IL trying to the soss
our own country. or as do the rebels in Cuba at
the present day.
THE REFORM CoMMITTEE's PLANS
six weeks before the Jameson raid the Reform
They had spent f7o 900 1880. .000j in provisions
which they expected would outlast u two
months' siege: they had arranged that the
water supply of Johannesburg could not be
cut Off from the outside. and they had ordered
them across the border. This was 'sRTns the nost
din,oplt part Of their work. work. for guns are as
burg as Dub bile mpetings and who
owned rifle was a marked man in consequence.
i Is vel to remember This. for it is not as
some of our own mining towns whore weapons
are sometimes as plentiful as pickaxes and
reading OF the pay rolls at tho shafts OF the diff
ferent mines;
slowly coming in that br Jameson. the admin
istrator of the Chartered Company's affairs was
asked by them II he would. in case they needed
his assistance, come across the border to the aid
Of his fellow countrymen. bringing with him
which they would send him TO Mafekinr. The,
gentlemen OF the Reform Committee were DR..
with him all over the surrounding country,
hunting. prospecting: and exploring: they knew
the easy spirit Of the unsettled country about
them 1t would not be difficult for him to gather
around him body OF men ready to go wherever
Jameson gave his consent readily. and agreed
70 the condition. under which he was to enter
the Transvaal. These conditions were exceed
ingly important and exceedingly explicit. He
vas TO move only whom the Tsformers gave the
movers in the plot and the men having most at
stake, were to be allowed to Judge exactly when
at all: that when he came he must bring 1900
men with him. and the extra 1900 guns on
and asked in return that they should write e him i'm
he could show later as his justncation for his
action.
THE CALL UPON JAMESON
The situation at this time was stretched geo.
graphically in the form Of u triangle, with three
were preparing to demand certain reform.
failed to yet them peaceably To- nh, for ,heny hesy
were at Johannesburg: Dr. Jameson. with his
at Mafeking. and Cecil Rhodes. the unknown
quantity, was at the Cape. aiding and advising
The letter to Jameson was signed BY FIVE men.
men were Charles Leonard. a British subject
born in the Cape Colony. educated at Cam
bridge. and prominent. lawyer OF Johannes
$50, 600 year Col. Francis Rhodes. a brother OF
Cecil Rhodes and an otficer in the English army
dan; John Hays Hammond, who as n mining
expert, now commando n salary Just twice as
States; Lionel Phillips. the largest individual
property owner In the Transvaal. and George
Farrar. an Importing merchant. These men.
who. with the exception OF Leonard, who es-
capped to England. were afterward tried BY tho
Government and sentenced TO be hanged. were
Zens of Johannesburg" as they would nave bacn
leading citizens 10 any community in which
The contents OF their letter to Jam eson are
well known. As a literary effort Intended to
very successful performance. as II does not
sound sincere: II shows on its face that It wAs
simplicity which as a factor in the the conversa,ion
OF the men who signed 1t is their most con-
yins,ns e. I'Samsnt described the critical
should a disturbance arise TO come
70 the aid Of tha. city. and expressed fears rs TO
the safety OF tho "unarmed men, women. and
children OF our race" who were there. in the
event Of conflict. II was OF this line that
Jameson made use when he told his men they
were going to protect women and children"
and which the poet laureate embodied in his
absurd verses when he wrote:
There girls In the gold reef city,
And mothers ana children. TOO;
AsS go "aS. .asy GrS eoad dqary Brave up mnn S R"
As this letter was handed to Jameson by tho
signers six weeks before he made his raid the
" Hurry up. for pity!" during that length OF
time and his not heedlnG them has its humorous
During the six weeks which interviewed be-
tween the delivery Of this letter and the raid
the th T., Reform Committee @ e"ntnged actively
s;S of rS:. BY ass time It nPsd
Maxim guns, and !. .ooo, 900 cartridges hidden
away within the limits of Johannesburg and |
in the surrounding mines; IL also counted
with reason. on havins control OF the forts which
covered the city. and which were at that time
guarded by q few Boer soldiers. who could have |
been driven out by assault The committee re-
led confidently on the immediate services OF at |
least 20 goo Of the in habtants OF Johannesburg,
and on the help of many VINO would join them
when they saw that 1t was safe to do |
SO. With hese meE fully armed. wit the town
provsioned for n two months siege. |
they felt they would be in a position by the 9th |
OF January TO send their rultimatum to the Gov |
rrnment at Pretoria. The conditions of this |
ultimatum were to be that unless tho Beers |
gave them the reforms for which they had petit |
ton without success they would, at the end OF |
three days, set MP n Provisional Government |
and defend johannesburg against all comers.
JAMESON GIVES sIGNs OF ovERHAsTE.
twas, then, at this point, when the minds of
half the people in tho country would bo wayer- |
ing as to whether II was better to join the re- |
formers or to uphold the old regime that DR.. |
Jameson was to have come In with his 300 |
police. like flying wedge" and bring the
ones, both titnnders and Beers. from |
ranches. farms, and villages, and deliver this |
triumphant addition TO his own wrll-OTganized |
force into the hands of tho Provisional Govern |
ment at Johannesburg. That Is what was 10 |