The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-28
ENGLAND'S AFRICAN CLAIMS
History OF the Trouble I'm Transvaal
Dating Back Many Years.
PHILADELPHIA Press.

While the trouble between the British and
Trsnsvaal governments which has resulted
IN one of its many developments In the
disagreement between President Kruger and
the Volksraad has been an almost contin-
uous quarrel since 1175, its present phase Is
the result of the suddenly and vastly in
creased interests of British subjects in the
Cransvaal following the gold mining boom
the neighborhood of johannesburg with
n the past ten or fifteen years. 1t is inter-
esting. however. to recall the earlier history
of the Dutch and the French in South Az
RIGA. in order to have in mind the nature
Of the Beers. the sturdy people who have
so often deied British force and never UNI
successfully.
The Dutch first settled in the Cape country
I'm 1862, and in the next quarter OF a century
they were Joined by a colony of French
Huguenots who left their native country in
search for religious liberty denied to them
by Louis XIV. In view of the attitude OF
the present Boer government toward the
British and other uitlanders in respect to
suffrage and representation, il is curious TO
note that the early Huguenots who demand
ed similar rights three hundreds years ago
of the South African Dutch were dismissed
with severe reprimand" by the then Gov
French impertinence"
But the Dutch absorbed the French. They
forbade the use OF their language in civil
affairs in 1909. and church service in 1724.
In 1876 the British took possession of the
Cape country; it was restored to the Dutch
in 1903 and England again finally took pos
session in 1896.
The Dutch-French colonists quarreled with
llx- 81
them treked northward in search of farm
ing lands. Their first settlements were in
Natal. but from there also the English drove
them. and then they went into the Trans
vaal. where, on unpromising upland six
thousand feet above the sea level, they be-
There they hoped the British would leave
them alone and their hopes might have been
realized had not the discovery of gold been
made there in 1866. Prior to that time. i'm
1852 England had acknowledged the inde-
pendence of the Transvaal. the South Az
rican Republic. In 1854 the Orange Free
State was also declared independent but by
both treaties and conventions England re-
tanned suzerainty. There was trouble in
1881. when force of British was repulsed
at Majuba hill. the incident leading TO a re-
vision of the convention in that year and
again In 1884. II is the latter which defines
the degree OF authority reserved by Eng
land under its suzerainty, and the conten-
tlons which are involved in the present
trouble.
BY its terms the South African Republic
nas full powers to frame and amend it's
constitution and administer its internal af-
iairs, but is prohibited from making any
treaty save with its neighbor the Orange
Free State. without the consent of the
BY this time British. Americans. Germans
and French were pouring into the gold
country and Johannesburg began TO take on
the size ana character OF an American min
Ing town. This annoyed the Beers but their
thrift did not desert them, and, although
they avoided mining and stuck TO their
fatFf4
national revenue from the uithanders
The government at Pretoria. under Pres
ident Kruger, levied transport dues stamp
taxes, license fees, franchise costs. customs
and monopoly charges such mining me-
cessitles as dynamite. The British in the
peaied to Pretoria, but there was no T re-
dress. BY 1886 the uitlanders were paying
70 the Boer government revenue of So
100000 annually which consisted almost en-
tirely in tax on mining. Sir Hercules
ind nj, British governor of Cape Colony.
charge of British suzerain rights i'm the
Iransvaal, undertook 10 talk President
h Kruger INTO granting concessions. and he
marked Sir Alfred Miners recent efforts in
| the same direction.
The uitlanders petitoned for more liberal
rights or suffrage and representation, but
| Pretoria granted nothing.
Then a number of prominent English and
american miners formed in johannesburg
what has passed into history as the Ma
tional Reform Union Committee. of which
Lionel Phillips was chairman and John
Hays Hammond. an American, was an off,
GER. They were i'm communication with
Cecil Rhodes. resident director of the Brit
Starr Jameson, known as DIR Jim"
The first battle of the Jameson raid &C.
| CURED al Krugersdorp, on Jan. i. 1896; the
| second at Doornkop. the day following
When Jameson's already defeated raiders
/ were all captured by the Beers. President
Kruger turned over the raiders to the Brit
ism government, which sentenced Jameson
| to fifteen months in jail, and some of his
| officers to shorter terms, after making them
the heroes of London for weeks.
Kruger arrested hundreds of uitlanders in
| Johannesburg on the charge OF treason, and
| upon trial four were sentenced TO death.
Among the latter was the American mining
| expert, Hammond, but a change in his sem
| tence was made to Punishment. Both the
| Beers and the British were fighting mad
| and every one expected war would follow
| between them, but ii was averted i'm a curl
Gus manner.
Emperor William of Germany sent a
cable message of sympathy TO President
| Kruger and by this characteristic act
changed the whole situation. But trouble i'm
| the Transvaal is not remedied. Sir Alfred
: Miner was instructed to endeayor TO get
| at least some of the concessions the uitland-
| ers demanded. and, after long wearisome
negotiations, which were undoubtedly more
| than once accompanied by threats OF force
| on the part OF England, concessions I'm the
monopoly were promised by Kruger, and
| that was the status OF the old. old quarrel
| Wnen came the report OF President Kruger
resignation.
| A Modern Inquisifion.