The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-02

n eve OF victory and given the Trans
vaal back TO h Boer, had been fla
GRAVITY violated and set aside"
But" as Mr.. Bryce says, those who
nave made a country and are ruling
a country, those who like the country
as it is and object TO new-fangieo
ways. cannot De expected to open their
arms to new Corners and invest them
with the fullness OF their own political
privilege" The Beers resolved to ex-
clude the imInigran1s-for a good while
AT least-from exerting political power.
The period Of residence and other for
malities prescribed for the acquisition
or burgher rights and the electoral
franchise was heightened. This was an
obvious form of self-preserva-ion.
GIVEN FULL CIVIL RIGHTS.
Mr.. Reitz, the state secretary OF the
South African republic, a man Of Gull
ture and ability, maintains hat che
Transvaal was under no obligation, un-
der the Pretoria convention of 1881, to
Civ the Outlanders full political equal
i;y. Article II OF that convention pro-
vides that "all persons Cher majesty's
loyal subjects) will have full liberty TO
reside in the country, with the enjoy
ment of all civil rights and protec-
ton for thenr persons and property"
In the London convention of 1884, arti-
Gle il, il was provided that:
All persons, ether than natives, con-
forming themselves to the laws of the
south African Republic will have full
liberty, with their families, to enter,
travel or reside in any part Of the
South African Republic; they will be
entitled ITO hire or possess houses,
manufactures. warehouses, shops and
premises; they may carry on their
commerce, either in person or by
agents whom they nay think fit to en-
plcy: they will not he subject, in res
of their persons or property or
in respect Of their or indus
try, TO any taxes, whether general or
local, other than those which are, or
may be, imposed upon citizens of The
said republic"
In this way all white O~utlanders,
the Transvaal government claimed.
were guaranteed in their rights of free
government, ownership and possession
Of property, trade and commerce. and
equal taxation with burghers. The
government of the South African Re-
public" contends Mr.. Reitz, would
have been acting strictly under the
of the convention if it had in
formed Mr.. Chamberlain that 1T alone
had to determine Upon the franchise
as being a question of a purely internal
nature"
but tine IrancnlSe was the only
grievance of the Outlanders, They
alleged, as stated by Earl Grey, thai
the high court was placed in complete
subOrdinaition Ito the executive, who
frequently refused to abide by its de-
cisions. They complained because the
use of the English language, both in
the courts of law and government Of
fees, was forbidden. In government
schools, paid for by the Outlanders, the
II vii n n ~,ro rrn~ h ~0ln ~aIfr
Of instruction for the older children.
They objected to the elementary SAN
itary regulations in johannesburg, and
declared they were allowed no voice in
control. They complained of
the Boer police; alleged government
connivance in the sale of liquor to ma
tives; charged that concessions an
benefit of the state, but for individuals
ton.
THE JAMESON RAID
The OutlanderS of johannesburg
even went SO far as to prepare for a re-
sort to force. Maxim guns and rifles
were smuggled into the city n mines
and they sought the assistance of DIR.
and his raiders. Possibly if
condition a been as desperate
it was represented to be a Sponta-
Solll1IlSo " Liz ouI
alone, might ave secured
some measure of sympathy, although
the identification of the mine-owners
with the movement laid it open to sus-
picion, whatever the grievances may
been. But the fact that Cecil
Rhodes, at that time Prime Minister
of Cape Colony and managing director
Of the British South African Company,
connected with the plot, and the
C11CnQnt06 RnnonliRitN of InCanh Cham
berlain, now British Colonial Secretary,
incenSed and alarmed the
Beers. 1t increased their distruSt, not
only of the Outlanders, out of the Brit
ish government. DR.. Jameson's raid
a fiaSco. The troopers with whom
he crossed over the Bechuanaland
border into the Transvaal were easily
defeated by the Beers at Dorm koop, in
January, 1896, but the invasion made
the Transvaal govern ment more deter
than ever to maintain it's indie
pendence and to resist aggression, both
from within and without. Moreover,
the expedition revived the racial feeling
throughout South Africa. The Orange
State concluded a treaty with the
Transvaal by which each of the two
republics bound itself to defend the
other if unjustly attracked.
PETITION TO QUEEN VICTORIA.
In December, 1898, a British subject
named Edgar was killed by a Boe1
at johannesburg. A petit
ton signed by 81, 900 British subjects
in the Transvaal was then sent to
Queen Victoria urging her to extend
them her protection. This petition was
by her Majesty, and Sir AL
fred Miner, governor of Cape Colony
and British High Commissioner to
Africa, was instructed to negO-
with President Kruger at Bloem-
with the hope of obtaining for
the Outlanders immediate representa-
ton in the Volksraad, such as would
enable them to press for the redress
of their grievances.
President Kruger, according to Mr..
Reitz, the TranSvaal secretary of state,