The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-11-11
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and testified that substantial improve.
Iments had been made In the administra-
ton since annexation.
Sir Bartle also visited the camp Of the,
tcornInitteew who demanded a restoration OF
4 their independence. To them he replied
that annexation was "irrevocable.n This
was the fifth time that British sovereign
ty contents were far from forming a
majority of the white population. 1t is
now. admitted that neither the govern
ment at home nor the administrator, Sir
ITheophtlus Shepstone, had been vigorous
In their efforts to effect reforms or to
protect the Beers. But in 1870 the most
urgent danger in which they stood-that
of being slaughtered and plundered by the
Zulus and Kaff1rsIwas removed by. the
victories of Lord Chmelsford and Sir
Garnet Wolseley. But Wolseley;,s settle
ment was far from successful. He an
nounced a new constitution in December
1879, the chief feature of which was a
nominated and not an elected council, as
the Beers had been promised. He de-
clared that t:4es malcontent Beers were
the "most formidable enemies the Trans
aal had ever had He caused the arrest
OF Pretorius on charge Of high treason,
but. quickly changing his mind, dragged
him from prison and nominated him
member Of the legislative council
In England Mr. Gladstone, in his.
paign speeches, was proclaiming the ac-7
ton Of the Conservative government in
South Africa ''as invasion of a free Euro
pean, Christian and republican commune
| ty." but when the Liberals came into Of.
flee the cabinet decided that "the sover-.
eighty of the queen Over the Transyaal
could not be relinquished." Sir Bartle
Frere was succeeded by Sir George Col
ber,e 1880, the Beers rose in armed rebel
! lion and killed or wounded 157 British
soldiers. This outbreak was brought on
by wilful Misrepresentation of British
policy by the chief agitators, who were
aided with money from the Fenians. But
the grievance which gave vital force to
the revolt was. the failure to grant self
| government to the Transvaal, as prom
ised by Sir Thomas Theophilus Shepstone.
For this failure both parties in Great
Britain were to blame.
Following their first victory the Beers
proclaimed the independence of the coun-
try. The small force of British troops
We're defeated in several disastrous en-
gagements, notably that Of Majuba H:ll.
Instead t-of sending large force and
quelling the uprising, as is the almost
universal custom Of England, the home
government yielded to the armed and
victorious rebels. The Transvaal was re-
stored intact to the Beers, who received
complete self-government, subject to the
suzerafnty of her majesty"
Th1s convention was signed at Preto-
ria In August, 1881. No appea sement of
the animosities between the Dutch and
the English Inhabitants Of the Transvaal
followed the conclusion of this conven-
| ton. The Beers never respected its terms
but continued to importune the British
government for an arnpler measure Of in
| dependence.
Lord Kimberley who occupied the CO.
I lonlal office when the convention of 1881
4 was signed, was followed by Lord Derby.
I The latter listened With. favor to the ar
rogant and overbearfns demands Of Presi-
dent Kruger, and In 1884 the convention
i which forms the present basis of the re-
lat1ons between Great Britain and the
| Transvaal was signed. BY its terms the
latter was permitted to call itself the
South African republic, while the control
Of its foreign policy was reduced to the
| provision that the republic could conclude
no treaty with any state or nation, other
| than the Orange Free State without the
consent of the queen 1t Is maintained
that as Great Britain retains the power
Of .-etoing foreign treaties, still ,ex-
! erclses suzerainty over the South African
republic.
| Inese further concessions were granted
IN the vain hope that amity would be
restored thereby between the two white
races in South Africa. But this act Of
! abnegation appeared to the English resi-
|
the British sphere. The Beers had I'M
willingly agreed to confine the Transvaal
within fixed limits, bu: to hold them 10
that promise has been no easy matter
and the British government has been
Obliged to Interfere by force Of arms to
protect British rights and prevent the
Beers from annexing all the neighbo-ing
native states.
Ever since 1854 the Transvaal govern.
ment has been trying to accomplish two
th1ngs-frst, to shut off the Cape from
the north and to acquire seaport of it's
own, and, second, to retain all power in
the hands of the Beers and to deny the
franchise to all settlers within her
borders. BY the foresight and sagacity
OF such men az Cecil Rhodes, Sir Her
cules Robinson and others, the Beers have
been in the main defeated in the first
OF these objects, although they have thus
ran succeeded tn the second
The chief cause Of discord throughout
South Africa Is the treatment of the Out
landers mon Boer settlers) in the Trans
vaal. BY the law of 1882 any male could
obtain the rights of citizenship after
residence Of five years. There was then
fair number Of Englishmen resident in
the Transvaal. especially in the Lynden-
burg mining district But with the gold
discoveries Of 1854 and 1885 came rush
OF English immigrants, and by the ead
OF 1883 Johannesburg was large ana
hourishing city. BY 1894 the Boer popula-
lation OF the Transvaal and the Orange
Free State was estimated at 20 1871 and
the Outlanders at ~ 600. Including G2,soo
British subjects. But the registered voters
numbered only 1925. Many Of these Out
landers have been in the country snce
1857. and yet in 1894 not one Of them
mad q voice in the government, although
Its treasury. formerly bankrupt, had been
replenished as result OF their Industry.
This denial Of the franchise had been
brought about by the act Of 1887, by
which the volksraad raised the period of
residence necessary to obtain a vote 70.
president and member Of the volksraad
to fifteen years. and by a subsequent
amendment by which no alien could at
tain full burgher rights. It is true that
In 1890 second road was created, MEM
bership in which might be attained after
four years residence but this was proved
sham, as all its acts may be land are)!
overruled by the first volksraad. Other
grievances are the dynamite monopoly
and Various restrictions to trade.
Reforms were agitated by the British
subjects, but the petitions Of the Trans
vaal National union to the raad were re-
jected with jeers and insults. The British
colonial Office tried again and again to
obtain for the British residents the cleo
toral franchise after five years residence.
but In vain Jameson's raid, made in re-
sconse to an unauthorized ard iniudi-
cious appeal of few Outlanders in Jo-
hannesburg, was an attempt to bring the
Beers to their senses by force OF arms It
was a proceeding entirely unauthorized
by the British authorities, and the great
mass Of the Outlanders were entirely I'M
nocent of completely with It, it not only
failed OF its Immediate object. but materi-
ally strengthened the Boer government
as an uphOldez of law and order, and tied
the hands OF the British government, and