egiventherepublicastabilityandpowerwhichnothingelsecan.Ifherejectsallpleasofthiskind,andpersistsinhispresentpolicy,hemaypossiblystaveofftheevilday,andpreservehischerishedoligarchyforanotherfewyearsbuttheendwillbethesame.'TheextractreflectsthetoneofalloftheBritishpress,withtheexceptionofoneortwopaperswhichconsideredthateventhepersistentillusageofourpeople,andthefactthatwewerepeculiarlyresponsiblefortheminthisState,didnotjustifyusininterferingintheinternalaffairsoftherepublic.ItcannotbedeniedthattheJamesonraidandtheincompletemannerinwhichthecircumstancesconnectedwithithadbeeninvestigatedhadweakenedtheforceofthosewhowishedtointerfereenergeticallyonbehalfofBritishsubjects.Therewasavaguebutwidespreadfeelingthatperhapsthecapitalistswereengineeringthesituationfortheirownends.Itisdifficulttoimaginehowastateofunrestandinsecurity,tosaynothingofastateofwar,caneverbetotheadvantageofcapital,andsurelyitisobviousthatifsomearch-schemerwereusingthegrievancesoftheUitlandersforhisownendsthebestwaytocheckmatehimwouldbetoremovethosegrievances.Thesuspicion,however,didexistamongthosewholiketoignoretheobviousandmagnifytheremote,andthroughoutthenegotiationsthehandofGreatBritainwasweakened,asheradversaryhaddoubtlesscalculatedthatitwouldbe,byanearnestbutfussyandfaddyminority.Idealismandamorbid,restlessconscientiousnessaretwoofthemostdangerousevilsfromwhichamodernprogressiveStatehastosuffer.
ItwasinApril1899thattheBritishUitlanderssenttheirpetitionprayingforprotectiontotheirnativecountry.SincetheAprilpreviousacorrespondencehadbeengoingonbetweenDr.Leyds,SecretaryofStatefortheSouthAfricanRepublic,andMr.Chamberlain,ColonialSecretary,upontheexistenceornon-existenceofthesuzerainty.Ontheonehand,itwascontendedthatthesubstitutionofasecondconventionhadentirelyannulledthefirstontheother,thatthepreambleofthefirstappliedalsotothesecond.IftheTransvaalcontentionwerecorrectitisclearthatGreatBritainhadbeentrickedandjockeyedintosuchaposition,sinceshehadreceivednoq