o-operatingwiththerebelsatJohannesburg.Moreover,whentherevoltatJohannesburgwaspostponed,onaccountofadisagreementastowhichflagtheyweretoriseunder,itappearsthatJameson(withorwithouttheordersofRhodes)forcedthehandoftheconspiratorsbyinvadingthecountrywithaforceabsurdlyinadequatetotheworkwhichhehadtakeninhand.FivehundredpolicemenandthreefieldgunsmadeuptheforlornhopewhostartedfromnearMafekingandcrossedtheTransvaalborderuponDecember29th,1895.OnJanuary2ndtheyweresurroundedbytheBoersamidthebrokencountrynearDornkop,andafterlosingmanyoftheirnumberkilledandwounded,withoutfoodandwithspenthorses,theywerecompelledtolaydowntheirarms.Sixburgherslosttheirlivesintheskirmish.
TheUitlandershavebeenseverelycriticisedfornothavingsentoutaforcetohelpJamesoninhisdifficulties,butitisimpossibletoseehowtheycouldhaveactedinanyothermanner.TheyhaddonealltheycouldtopreventJamesoncomingtotheirrelief,andnowitwasratherunreasonabletosupposethattheyshouldrelievetheirreliever.Indeed,theyhadanentirelyexaggeratedideaofthestrengthoftheforcewhichhewasbringing,andreceivedthenewsofhiscapturewithincredulity.Whenitbecameconfirmedtheyrose,butinahalfheartedfashionwhichwasnotduetowantofcourage,buttothedifficultiesoftheirposition.Ontheonehand,theBritishGovernmentdisownedJamesonentirely,anddidallitcouldtodiscouragetherisingontheother,thePresidenthadtheraidersinhiskeepingatPretoria,andletitbeunderstoodthattheirfatedependeduponthebehaviouroftheUitlanders.TheywereledtobelievethatJamesonwouldbeshotunlesstheylaiddowntheirarms,though,asamatteroffact,Jamesonandhispeoplehadsurrendereduponapromiseofquarter.SoskillfullydidKrugerusehishostagesthathesucceeded,withthehelpoftheBritishCommissioner,ingettingthethousandsofexcitedJohannesburgerstolaydowntheirarmswithoutbloodshed.Completelyout-manoeuvredbytheastuteoldPresident,theleadersofthereformmovementusedalltheirinfluenceinthedirectionofpeace,thinkingthatageneralamnestywouldfollowbutthemomentthattheyandtheirpeoplewerehelplessthedetectivesandarmedburghersoccupiedthetown,andsixtyoftheirnumberwerehurriedtoPretoriaGaol.
TotheraidersthemselvesthePresidentbehavedwithgreatgenerosity.Perhapshecouldnotfinditinhishearttobeharshtothemenwhohadmanagedtoputhimintherightandwonforhimthesympathyoftheworld.Hisownilliberalandoppressivetreatmentofthenewcomerswasforgotteninthefaceofthisillegalinroadoffilibusters.Thetrueissuesweresoobscuredbythisintrusionthatithastakenyearstoclearthem,andperhapstheywillneverbewhollycleared.Itwasforgottenthatitwasthebadgovernmentofthecountrywhichwastherealcauseoftheunfortunateraid.Fromthenonwardsthegovernmentmightgrowworseandworse,butitwasalwayspossibletopointtotheraidasjustifyingeverything.WeretheUitlanderstohavet