The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-19
TROUBLES OF THE TRAMSVAAL,
DISPUTES WITH GREAT BRITAIN
FOR HALF 4 CENTURY.


the Seventeenth Century-R g flu
gees in search of Religious Free
donl--The First Clash With Brit
fsh Authority =.t: the Cause OF
1.-THE Great Trek of 1876 and
Those That Followed It-Found-
ing of the states of Orange, Natal
and the TrmnsvauI-Britain's SUI
xerain Rights and other COndi-
tions That Have Led Up to the
Present War.
From the Baltimore American.
The trouble between Great Britain and
the Beers dates back more than half
century. 1t was on the Cape Of Good Hope
that the white man made his first settle
nent in South Africa. The Dutch, under
the auspices of the Dutch East India Com
pany went there in the seventeenth cen
fury They were followed by Huguenot
refugees in search of the religious free
dom denied them in France. These two
races lived amicably together, intermar-
riages merged them into one blood. That
the Beers OF Dutch Afrikanders of to-
day are mixed race is evidenced by the
very BRmes of Their prominent represent
ativcs. Kruger, the President, for exam
pie, has a name Of Holland origin. Jou-
bert, the Vice President and the command
ing general OF the army, has a French
patronymic The first British settlers ar
rived toward the close of the eighteenth
century Trouble at once began 20 arise.
These troubles eliminated in the conquest
of the territory by the British. In 1914
Holland formally cedcd it to Great Brit
ain. Cape Colony, as it was now named,
has ever since remained a dependency Of
the crown.
The new administration was little to the
liking Of the descendants of the original
settlers Under Holland they had enjoyed
q measure of self-government. Under
Great Britain they felt themselves aliens.
The crisis Of discomfort arrived with the
emancipation Of their slaves in 1884. Not
only was the emancipation itself against
their wishes but the nominal compensa lion
offered them took the form of orders on
London, which they We're forced to cash
on the spot at ruinous discounts. Many OF
the farmers were practically impoverish-
ed In rage and disgust, a large number
of the Beers began to 90 north and east
into the wilderness. This exodus is known
as the great trek of 1856 Trek is Dutch
for track, or, rather, for the verb which
survives in our Vernacular speech as to
make tracks. The trekkers founded the
two colonies of Orange and Natal. whose
northern boundaries were the Naal river
They We're still claimed as British sub
Jects by the governor of the colony In
lSfS this claim was enforced by conquest
once more a large number of the Beers
Jumped mio their wagons and trekked
across the Naal in search Of independence
Ihus The Transvaal state was founded
and maintained precarious existence by
whip ana rifle in the teeth of const antly
eneroaching hordes of hostile savage
tribes. But go where they would the Beers
found that British power and influence
were sure 10 follow. Nor were they alto
getheP> unwelcome at first. Without the
aid of British arms it is more than doubt
ful whether the white settlements could
have maintained themselves against the
Zulus on their east, the Malaheles on their
west, and the Kahirs in ther very midst
In 1877, however British annexation
proved the price of British protection. The
Beers protested In vain. 1t was not until
1881 that they resorted 10 arms. Their
bloody victory al Majuba Hh brought the
British government to terms.
The Meaning of SuzcrMsnty.
BY a convention signed at Pretoria in
1881 Mr. Gladstones government restored
independence TO the TTansvaal now
known officially as he South African
Republic. Independence was subject, how
ever, 10 the suzerainty OF Great Britain
There was no mistaking In the meaning of
the word suzerainty, as defined in his
convention Ii was expressly stipulated
thai the English crown should appoint a
British resident, with a veto power over
the internal policy of the republic toward
tht KaffirS; that 10 should control and con-
duct the entire foreign policy and reserve
the right Of moving troops over its terri
tory in time of war. To the Beers. how
ever. the reservation was gall and worm
wood. As they chafed more and more I'M
der what seemed 10 the colonial Office a
mere shadow of authority, Gladstone
cheerfully proposed revision of the con
vention.
Thus came the conference which led to
the second or London convention in 1854
Though held in the metropolis of Great
Britain itself. the British public thought
little and cared less about the matter. The
Beers got pretty much what they wanted
Out of Difference to Boer constituencies the
word "suzeraintY,' expressly used in the
convention of 1881, was omitted in the new
one and the little of British resident was
changed TO diplomatic agent with a re-
striction OF his functions to purely consul
lar duties Complete independence was
granted I'm domestic affairs The western
boundaries of The state were mutually de-
termined upon.
ped. the thing itself was asserted in one
clause, which ran as follows The South
African Republic win conclude no treaty
or engagement with any state or nation
other than the Oarnge Free State, nor
with any native tribe TO the eastward or
westward Of the republic until the same
has been approved by Her Majesty, The
Queen"
As the other clauses were concessions to
Boer feelings SO this was a concession 20
John Bulls 5. Some years passed before It
was looked up as OF any vital importance.
The Beers nave argued that the colonial
Office winked a some minor violations Of
its spirit, but this is denied by British au-
thorGes Only when the Beers showed a
disposition to encroach beyond the bouu-
dairy limitations of the convention was 1t
aroused and even then to tardy action
The Transvaal government had It's heart
set upon two great aims one was TO
shut off Cape Colony from me north; the
other to establish a seaport of its own