The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-12
".

AS MI. Bryce visited johannesburg shortly
before the rising which took place at the end of
1895. his testimony as to what he saw and heard
is of manifest Importance. To him. he said. two
questions presented themselves. one of which
related to the merits of the case. This was a
question which only q visitor would consider.
for the inhabitants were all committed on one
side or the other. The inquiry which the author
has here in mind Is this: What are tho circum-
stances which justify insurrectionf Some cases
are too clear for argument. Obviously, any sub
jeot of n bloodthirsty tyrant. ruling without
law. or against law, Is justified in taking up
arms. On the other hand, 1t is clear that
subjects of q constitutional Government, con-
Quoted in accordance with law, do wrong
and must be punished If they take up arms,
even when they have grievances to redress. 1t
was argued In Johannesburg. when Mr.. Bryce
was there. that the Boer Government was an
oligarohy which overtaxed its subjects and yet
refused them the benefits which q civilized Gov
ernment is bound to give. 1t was, 80 the dis
affected said. the Government of a small and ig-
norant minority. and. since it was believed to be
corrupt as well rs incompetent, 1t inspired no
respect. Peaceful agitation had proved useless.
Did not, 1t was asked, the sacred principle of no
taxation without representation, which had
been held to Justify the American Revolution,
| Justify those who had been patient so long In
trying to remove their grievances by force 2
On the other hand. Mr.. Bryce considers that
there was much to be said for the Beers. not
only from the legal but from the sentimental
side of the case. They had fed out Of Cape
Colony sixty years before, had suffered many
perils and %triumphed over many foes, had re-
covered their independence by their own cour-
age when England had deprived them of 1t. had
founded a commonwealth upon their own lines
and could now keep 1t as their own only by the
exclusion of those aliens in blood. speech and
manners who had recently come among them.
They had not invited these strangers, nor had
the strangers como for anything but gold. True.
they had opened the land to them. they had
permitted them to buy the gold reefs. they had
Allied their Golfers with the taxes which
the miners paid. These strangers, however,
camo with notice that it was a Boer State they
were entering, and most of them had come. not
to stay and identify themselves with tho old cit
izens, but to depart after amassing gain. Were
these immigrants of yesterday to be suffered to
o~verturn the old Boer State and build up on its
ruins a now one. under which the Boer would
soon find his cherished customs gone. and him.
self. in turn. a strangeri Put the grievances OF
which the Uitlanders have complained at their
highest, and they did not amount to wrongs
such as had in other countries furnished the
usual ~pretexts for insurrection. Life. religion,
property, personal freedom were not at stake
The worst any one suffered was to be overtaxed
and to miss some of those advantages which the
old citizens had never possessed and did moi
care to have. II these were hardships. they
were not such hardships as justified a recourse
to arms.
The other question which presented itself tt
Mr.. Bryce when he visited Johannesburg wal
whether an insurrection would succeed. Taking
a cooler view of the position than 1t is easy fol
n resident to take. he felt some doubt upon thi!
point, he tells us. and it occurred to him t.
wonder whether, II the Government was reall!
80 corrupt as the Uitlanders described 1t, thu
latter might not attain their object more quick
ly, as well as peaceably, by using those argu
ments which were said to prevail with man!
members of the Volksraad. Surprising this u
be impossible, and our author suggests tina
it may have been impossible, for tn
reason that men who are not scrupulous Il
lesser matters may yet refuse to tnmper Wit
what they hold vital. the question remained
were the forces at the disposal of tho reform
leaders sufficient to overthrow the Government
The Government, it is true, had only tw'
or three hundred regular troops, artillerymen
stationed at Pretoria. and said to be not YER
efficient. Tho militia, however. included a.
Boers over 10; and the Boer, though not dh
} ciplined In tho European way, was accustome
> to shoot, Injured to hardships by his rough III
. and ready to fight to the death for his ind
. pendence. This militia, consisting OF 1900
\ men or more. would have been, when all co
lected, more than a match In the held Tor an
force the Uitlanders could arm. In point
fact. when the rising took place the latter ha
( only some three thousand rifles read!
y while few OF their supporters knew an!
s thing OF fighting. AS the Reform leaders wer
a aware that they would be outmatched II tn
Government had time TO gather Its troops.