whichaStatereapsfromaliberalpolicy.TohimitwasasiftheAmmonitesandMoabiteshaddemandedadmissionintothetwelvetribes.HemistookanagitationagainsttheexclusivepolicyoftheStateforoneagainsttheexistenceoftheStateitself.Awidefranchisewouldhavemadehisrepublicfirm-basedandpermanent.ItwasasmallminorityoftheUitlanderswhohadanydesiretocomeintotheBritishsystem.Theywereacosmopolitancrowd,onlyunitedbythebondofacommoninjustice.Butwheneveryothermethodhadfailed,andtheirpetitionfortherightsoffreemenhadbeenflungbackatthem,itwasnaturalthattheireyesshouldturntothatflagwhichwavedtothenorth,thewest,andthesouthofthem—theflagwhichmeanspurityofgovernmentwithequalrightsandequaldutiesforallmen.Constitutionalagitationwaslaidaside,armsweresmuggledin,andeverythingpreparedforanorganisedrising.
Theeventswhichfollowedatthebeginningof1896havebeensothrashedoutthatthereis,perhaps,nothinglefttotell—exceptthetruth.SofarastheUitlandersthemselvesareconcerned,theiractionwasmostnaturalandjustifiable,andtheyhavenoreasontoexculpatethemselvesforrisingagainstsuchoppressionasnomenofourracehaveeverbeensubmittedto.Hadtheytrustedonlytothemselvesandthejusticeoftheircause,theirmoralandeventheirmaterialpositionwouldhavebeeninfinitelystronger.Butunfortunatelytherewereforcesbehindthemwhichweremorequestionable,thenatureandextentofwhichhaveneveryet,inspiteoftwocommissionsofinvestigation,beenproperlyrevealed.Thatthereshouldhavebeenanyattemptatmisleadinginquiry,orsuppressingdocumentsinordertoshelterindividuals,isdeplorable,fortheimpressionleft—Ibelieveanentirelyfalseone—mustbethattheBritishGovernmentconnivedatanexpeditionwhichwasasimmoralasitwasdisastrous.
Ithadbeenarrangedthatthetownwastoriseuponacertainnight,thatPretoriashouldbeattacked,thefortseized,andtheriflesandammunitionusedtoarmtheUitlanders.Itwasafeasibledevice,thoughitmustseemtous,whohavehadsuchanexperienceofthemilitaryvirtuesoftheburghers,averydesperateone.ButitisconceivablethattherebelsmighthaveheldJohannesburguntiltheuniversalsympathywhichtheircauseexcitedthroughoutSouthAfricawouldhavecausedGreatBritaintointervene.Unfortunatelytheyhadcomplicatedmattersbyaskingforoutsidehelp.Mr.CecilRhodeswasPremieroftheCape,amanofimmenseenergy,andonewhohadrenderedgreatservicestotheempire.Themotivesofhisactionareobscure—certainly,wemaysaythattheywerenotsordid,forhehasalwaysbeenamanwhosethoughtswerelargeandwhosehabitsweresimple.Butwhatevertheymayhavebeen—whetheranill-regulateddesiretoconsolidateSouthAfricaunderBritishrule,oraburningsympathywiththeUitlandersintheirfightagainstinjustice—itiscertainthatheallowedhislieutenant,Dr.Jameson,toassemblethemountedpoliceoftheCharteredCompany,ofwhichRhodeswasfounderanddirector,forthepurposeofc