TheBritishGovernmentandtheBritishpeopledonotdesireanydirectauthorityinSouthAfrica.TheironesupremeinterestisthatthevariousStatesthereshouldliveinconcordandprosperity,andthatthereshouldbenoneedforthepresenceofaBritishredcoatwithinthewholegreatpeninsula.Ourforeigncritics,withtheirmisapprehensionoftheBritishcolonialsystem,canneverrealisethatwhetherthefour-colouredflagoftheTransvaalortheUnionJackofaself-governingcolonywavedoverthegoldmineswouldnotmakethedifferenceofoneshillingtotherevenueofGreatBritain.TheTransvaalasaBritishprovincewouldhaveitsownlegislature,itsownrevenue,itsownexpenditure,anditsowntariffagainstthemothercountry,aswellasagainsttherestoftheworld,andEnglandbenonethericherforthechange.ThisissoobvioustoaBritonthathehasceasedtoinsistuponit,anditisforthatreasonperhapsthatitissouniversallymisunderstoodabroad.Ontheotherhand,whilesheisnogainerbythechange,mostoftheexpenseofitinbloodandinmoneyfallsuponthehomecountry.Onthefaceofit,therefore,GreatBritainhadeveryreasontoavoidsoformidableataskastheconquestoftheSouthAfricanRepublic.Atthebestshehadnothingtogain,andattheworstshehadanimmensedealtolose.Therewasnoroomforambitionoraggression.Itwasacaseofshirkingorfulfillingamostarduousduty.
TherecouldbenoquestionofaplotfortheannexationoftheTransvaal.InafreecountrytheGovernmentcannotmoveinadvanceofpublicopinion,andpublicopinionisinfluencedbyandreflectedinthenewspapers.Onemayexaminethefilesofthepressduringallthemonthsofnegotiationsandneverfindonereputableopinioninfavourofsuchacourse,nordidoneinsocietyevermeetanadvocateofsuchameasure.Butagreatwrongwasbeingdone,andallthatwasaskedwastheminimumchangewhichwouldsetitright,andrestoreequalitybetweenthewhiteracesinAfrica.'LetKrugeronlybeliberalintheextensionofthefranchise,'saidthepaperwhichismostrepresentativeofthesanestBritishopinion,'andhewillfindthatthepoweroftherepublicwillbecomenotweaker,butinfinitelymoresecure.Lethimoncegivethemajorityoftheresidentmalesoffullagethefullvote,andhewillhav