TherecouldbenoquestionofaplotfortheannexationoftheTransvaal.InafreecountrytheGovernmentcannotmoveinadvanceofpublicopinion,andpublicopinionisinfluencedbyandreflectedinthenewspapers.Onemayexaminethefilesofthepressduringallthemonthsofnegotiationsandneverfindonereputableopinioninfavourofsuchacourse,nordidoneinsocietyevermeetanadvocateofsuchameasure.Butagreatwrongwasbeingdone,andallthatwasaskedwastheminimumchangewhichwouldsetitright,andrestoreequalitybetweenthewhiteracesinAfrica.'LetKrugeronlybeliberalintheextensionofthefranchise,'saidthepaperwhichismostrepresentativeofthesanestBritishopinion,'andhewillfindthatthepoweroftherepublicwillbecomenotweaker,butinfinitelymoresecure.Lethimoncegivethemajorityoftheresidentmalesoffullagethefullvote,andhewillhavegiventherepublicastabilityandpowerwhichnothingelsecan.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,sinceshehadreceivednoquidproquointhesecondconvention,andeventhemostcarelessofColonialSecretariescouldhardlyhavebeenexpectedtogiveawayaverysubstantialsomethingfornothing.Butthecontentionthrowsusbackupontheacademicquestionofwhatasuzeraintyis.TheTransvaaladmittedapowerofvetoovertheirforeignpolicy,andthisadmissioninitself,unlesstheyopenlytoreuptheconvention,mustdeprivethemofthepositionofasovereignState.Onthewhole,thequestionmustbeacknowledgedtohavebeenonewhichmightverywellhavebeenreferredtotrustworthyarbitration. Butnowtothisdebate,whichhadsolittleofurgencyinitthatsevenmonthsintervenedbetweenstatementandreply,therecamethebitterlyvitalquestionofthewrongsandappealoftheUitlanders.SirAlfredMilner,theBritishCommissionerinSouthAfrica,amanofliberalviewswhohadbeenappointedbyaConservativeGovernment,commandedtherespectandconfidenceofallparties.Hisrecordwasthatofanable,clear-headedman,toojusttobeeitherguiltyofortolerantofinjustice.Tohimthematterwasreferred,andaconferencewasarrangedbetweenPresidentKrugerandhimatBloemfontein,thecapitaloftheOrangeFreeState.TheymetonMay30th.KrugerhaddeclaredthatallquestionsmightbediscussedexcepttheindependenceoftheTransvaal.'All,all,all!'hecriedemphatically.Butinpracticeitwasfoundthatthepartiescouldnotagreeastowhatdidorwhatdidnotthreatenthisindependence.Whatwasessentialtoonewasinadmissibletotheother.Milnercontendedforafiveyears'retroactivefranchise,withprovisionstosecureadequaterepresentationfortheminingdistricts.Krugerofferedasevenyears'franchise,coupledwithnumerousconditionswhichwhittleddownitsvalueverymuch,promisedfivemembersoutofthirty-onetorepresentamajorityofthemalepopulation,andaddedaprovisionthatalldifferencesshouldbesubjecttoarbitrationbyforeignpowers,aconditionwhichisincompatiblewithanyclaimtosuzerainty.Theproposalsofeachwereimpossibletotheother,andearlyinJuneSirAlfredMilnerwasbackinCapeTownandPresidentKrugerinPretoria,withnothingsettledexcepttheextremedifficultyofasettlement.Thecurrentwasrunningswift,andtheroarofthefallwasalreadysoundinglouderintheear. OnJune12thSirAlfredMilnerreceivedadeputationatCapeTownandreviewedthesituation.'Theprincipleofequalityofraceswas,'hesaid,essentialforSouthAfrica.TheoneStatewhereinequalityexistedkeptalltheothersinafever.Ourpolicywasonenotofaggression,butofsingularpatience,whichcouldnot,however,lapseintoindifference.'TwodayslaterKrugeraddressedtheRaad.'Theothersidehadnotconcededonetittle,andIcouldnotgivemore.Godhasalwaysstoodbyus.Idonotwantwar,butIwillnotgivemoreaway.Althoughourindependencehasoncebeentakenaway,Godhasrestoredit.'Hespokewithsinceritynodoubt,butitishardtohearGodinvokedwithsuchconfidenceforthesystemwhichencouragedtheliquortraffictothenatives,andbredthemostcorruptsetofofficialsthatthemodernworldhasseen. AdispatchfromSirAlfredMilner,givinghisviewsuponthesituation,madetheBritishpublicrecognise,asnothingelsehaddone,howseriousthepositionwas,andhowessentialitwasthatanearnestnationaleffortshouldbemadetosetitright.Inithesaid: 'Thecaseforinterventionisoverwhelming.Theonlyattemptedansweristhatthingswillrightthemselvesifleftalone.But,infact,thepolicyofleavingthingsalonehasbeentriedforyears,andithasledtotheirgoingfrombadtoworse.Itisnottruethatthisisowingtotheraid.Theyweregoingfrombadtoworsebeforetheraid.Wewereonthevergeofwarbeforetheraid,andtheTransvaalwasonthevergeofrevolution.Theeffectoftheraidhasbeentogivethepolicyofleavingthingsaloneanewleaseoflife,andwiththeoldconsequences. 'ThespectacleofthousandsofBritishsubjectskeptpermanentlyinthepositionofhelots,constantlychafingunderundoubtedgrievances,andcallingvainlytoherMajesty'sGovernmentforredress,doessteadilyunderminetheinfluenceandreputationofGreatBritainwithintheQueen'sdominions.Asectionofthepress,notintheTransvaalonly,preachesopenlyandconstantlythedoctrineofarepublicembracingallSouthAfrica,andsupportsitbymenacingreferencestothearmamentsoftheTransvaal,itsalliancewiththeOrangeFreeState,andtheactivesympathywhich,incaseofwar,itwouldreceivefromasectionofherMajesty'ssubjects.Iregrettosaythatthisdoctrine,supportedasitisbyaceaselessstreamofmalignantliesabouttheintentionsofherMajesty'sGovernment,isproducingagreateffectonalargenumberofourDutchfellowcolonists.LanguageisfrequentlyusedwhichseemstoimplythattheDutchhavesomesuperiorright,eveninthiscolony,totheirfellow-citizensofBritishbirth.Thousandsofmenpeaceablydisposed,andifleftaloneperfectlysatisfiedwiththeirpositionasBritishsubjects,arebeingdrawnintodisaffection,andthereisacorrespondingexasperationuponthepartoftheBritish. 'IcanseenothingwhichwillputastoptothismischievouspropagandabutsomestrikingproofoftheintentionofherMajesty'sGovernmentnottobeoustedfromitspositioninSouthAfrica.' SuchwerethegraveandmeasuredwordswithwhichtheBritishpro-consulwarnedhiscountrymenofwhatwastocome.Hesawthestorm-cloudpilinginthenorth,butevenhiseyeshadnotyetdiscernedhownearandhowterriblewasthetempest. ThroughouttheendofJuneandtheearlypartofJulymuchwashopedfromthemediationoftheheadsoftheAfrikanderBond,thepoliticalunionoftheDutchCapecolonists.Ontheonehand,theywerethekinsmenoftheBoersontheother,theywereBritishsubjects,andwereenjoyingtheblessingsofthoseliberalinstitutionswhichwewereanxioustoseeextendedtotheTransvaal.'Onlytreatourfolkaswetreatyours!Ourwholecontentionwascompressedintothatprayer.Butnothingcameofthemission,thoughaschemeendorsedbyMr.HofmeyerandMr.Herholdt,oftheBond,withMr.FischeroftheFreeState,wasintroducedintotheRaadandapplaudedbyMr.Schreiner,theAfricanderPremierofCapeColony.Initsoriginalformtheprovisionswereobscureandcomplicated,thefranchisevaryingfromnineyearstosevenunderdifferentconditions.Indebate,however,thetermswereamendeduntilthetimewasreducedtosevenyears,andtheproposedrepresentationofthegoldfieldsplacedatfive.Theconcessionwasnotagreatone,norcouldtherepresentation,fiveoutofthirty-one,beconsideredagenerousprovisionforthemajorityofthepopulationbutthereductionoftheyearsofresidencewaseagerlyhailedinEnglandasasignthatacompromisemightbeeffected.Asighofreliefwentupfromthecountry.'If,'saidtheColonialSecretary,'thisreportisconfirmed,thisimportantchangeintheproposalsofPresidentKruger,coupledwithpreviousamendments,leadsGovernmenttohopethatthenewlawmayprovetobethebasisofasettlementonthelineslaiddownbySirAlfredMilnerintheBloemfonteinConference.'Headdedthatthereweresomevexatiousconditionsattached,butconcluded,'HerMajesty'sGovernmentfeelassuredthatthePresident,havingacceptedtheprincipleforwhichtheyhavecontended,willbepreparedtoreconsideranydetailofhisschemewhichcanbeshowntobeapossiblehindrancetothefullaccomplishmentoftheobjectinview,andthathewillnotallowthemtobenullifiedorreducedinvaluebyanysubsequentalterationsofthelaworactsofadministration.'Atthesametime,the'Times'declaredthecrisistobeatanend.'IftheDutchstatesmenoftheCapehaveinducedtheirbrethrenintheTransvaaltocarrysuchaBill,theywillhavedeservedthelastinggratitude,notonlyoftheirowncountrymenandoftheEnglishcolonistsinSouthAfrica,butoftheBritishEmpireandofthecivilisedworld.'