eformmovementwaspast,butthecauseswhichproducedthembothremained.Itishardlyconceivablethatastatesmanwholovedhiscountrywouldhaverefrainedfrommakingsomeefforttoremoveastateofthingswhichhadalreadycausedsuchgravedangers,andwhichmustobviouslybecomemoreseriouswitheveryyearthatpassed.ButPaulKrugerhadhardenedhisheart,andwasnottobemoved.ThegrievancesoftheUitlandersbecameheavierthanever.Theonepowerinthelandtowhichtheyhadbeenabletoappealforsomesortofredressamidtheirgrievanceswasthelawcourts.NowitwasdecreedthatthecourtsshouldbedependentontheVolksraad.TheChiefJusticeprotestedagainstsuchadegradationofhishighoffice,andhewasdismissedinconsequencewithoutapension.Thejudgewhohadcondemnedthereformerswaschosentofillthevacancy,andtheprotectionofafixedlawwaswithdrawnfromtheUitlanders.
AcommissionappointedbytheStatewassenttoexamineintotheconditionoftheminingindustryandthegrievancesfromwhichthenewcomerssuffered.ThechairmanwasMr.SchalkBurger,oneofthemostliberaloftheBoers,andtheproceedingswerethoroughandimpartial.Theresultwasareportwhichamplyvindicatedthereformers,andsuggestedremedieswhichwouldhavegonealongwaytowardssatisfyingtheUitlanders.Withsuchenlightenedlegislationtheirmotivesforseekingthefranchisewouldhavebeenlesspressing.ButthePresidentandhisRaadwouldhavenoneoftherecommendationsofthecommission.TheruggedoldautocratdeclaredthatSchalkBurgerwasatraitortohiscountryforhavingsignedsuchadocument,andanewreactionarycommitteewaschosentoreportuponthereport.Wordsandpapersweretheonlyoutcomeoftheaffair.Noameliorationcametothenewcomers.Butatleasttheyhadagainputtheircasepubliclyuponrecord,andithadbeenendorsedbythemostrespectedoftheburghers.GraduallyinthepressoftheEnglish-speakingcountriestheraidwasceasingtoobscuretheissue.Moreandmoreclearlyitwascomingoutthatnopermanentsettlementwaspossiblewherethemajorityofthepopulationwasoppressedbytheminority.Theyhadtriedpeacefulmeansandfailed.Theyhadtriedwarlikemeansandfailed.Whatwasthereleftforthemtodo?Theirowncountry,theparamountpowerofSouthAfrica,hadneverhelpedthem.Perhapsifitweredirectlyappealedtoitmightdoso.Itcouldnot,ifonlyforthesakeofitsownimperialprestige,leaveitschildrenforeverinastateofsubjection.TheUitlandersdetermineduponapetitiontotheQueen,andindoingsotheybroughttheirgrievancesoutofthelimitsofalocalcontroversyintothebroaderfieldofinternationalpolitics.GreatBritainmusteitherprotectthemoracknowledgethattheirprotectionwasbeyondherpower.AdirectpetitiontotheQueenprayingforprotectionwassignedinApril1899bytwenty-onethousandUitlanders.Fromthattimeeventsmovedinevitablytowardstheoneend.Sometimesthesurfacewastroubledandsometimessmooth,butthestreamalwaysranswiftlyandtheroarofthefallsoundedeverlouderintheears.