Kotze threatened to appeal to Great Britain as the paramount power Public mations and The shooting of a British subject at Johannesburg by a Transvaal Uitlander police officer during the Christmas holidays in 1898, and the release of Meetings, the officer on bail instead of being remanded to jail for murder, was the Proclaimmediate pretext for public meetings, proclamations and petitions ; and serious trouble was averted only by the vigorous action of the Petitions. British representative in the Transvaal. But back of this were the arbitrary acts of the Transvaal government, such as new taxes upon mining property in the face of the overflowing condition of the Transvaal treasury; the oppressive regulations concerning the laborers from Cape Colony and India, and the drafting of British subjects into the Transvaal armies to fight the native blacks then at war with the Boers, despite the British representative's protest. The Boers were aroused by the threat of the Uitlanders to celebrate January 2, 1899, as "Jameson Day”—a threat which was not carried out. Boer Outrage at a Uitlander Public Meeting. Another A mass meeting of the Uitlanders at Johannesburg, December 24, 1898, held for the purpose of drawing up a petition to the British government asking for redress against the tyranny of the Boer police was broken up by bands of. armed Boers, who invaded the hall and occupied the galleries, throwing down boxes, chairs and tables upon the assembled Uitlanders, wrecking the interior of the hall and injuring many Uitlanders, the police being passive spectators of the outrage. Another public meeting of Uitlanders, held on January 13, 1899, to protest against the arrest of the officers of the previous meeting on the charge of violating the Public Meetings Act and to approve of the petition to the British government, also was broken up by a mob of Boers and Afrikanders, who made such demonstrations of hostility when Meeting. the secretary began reading the petition that not a word of the petition could be heard; and the meeting became a free fight, chairs and benches being broken up and used as weapons and the Uitlanders being driven off, as the police made no effort to preserve order. During the night there were many street fights in Johannesburg. at a Uitlander Public able Situation of the ers. The situation at Johannesburg was very threatening, as the griev- Intolerances of the Uitlanders were more serious than ever before and taxation was exceedingly burdensome. The Transvaal had a little war with the negro tribe of Mpetu, which cost about two hundred thousand Uitlanddollars, but which the Transvaal government made the pretext for the imposition of a war tax of two million dollars, or ten times the actual cost, and which the Uitlanders had to pay. There were heavy taxes on mining profits and mining leases; and the Uitlanders were compelled Uitlander Petition to Sir Alfred Milner. Contents of This to pay a large poll tax, although they did not have the right to vote. The inhabitants of Johannesburg were denied the right of public assemblage and were obliged to sue out a permit from the Boer police to hold a meeting. On March 24, 1899, a petition signed by twenty-one thousand six hundred and eighty-four British subjects in the Transvaal was handed to Mr. Conyngham Greene, the British Agent at Pretoria, to be transmitted to Sir Alfred Milner, Governor of Cape Colony and British High Commissioner for South Africa, "for such action as His Excellency might think necessary." Sir Alfred Milner forwarded the petition to Colonial Secretary Chamberlain in London. This petition cited the constant violation of President Krüger's Petition. promises concerning reforms; the total lack of protection against mob violence; the law authorizing the Transvaal President to expel British subjects at his will without appeal to the High Court; the total disfranchisement of the entire Uitlander population of Johannesburg, who were ruled by a thousand Boers of the city-in short, the intolerable condition of the Uitlanders, who implored the British government to secure for them the ordinary rights of citizens. Demands of the French Press. Alleged British Military Plot. The Paris Temps, Journal des Debats, Gazette, Coloniale and other French newspapers voiced the dissatisfaction of the financial interests of Continental Europe with the condition of affairs in the Transvaal Republic, and called upon the British government to obtain "justice for French investors in the Transvaal," or to relinquish the claim of suzerainty and permit foreign powers to protect their own subjects in their rights; and the French stockholders in the Rand gold mines prepared a memorial to the British government, about the middle of May, calling for "protection for foreign capital in the Transvaal." Under such pressure Mr. Chamberlain could not delay action much longer. On May 16, 1899, seven alleged ex-officers of the British army were arrested at Johannesburg on a charge of high treason and were taken to Pretoria, where they were remanded for trial. Affidavits were presented to the court, alleging that two thousand men had been enrolled for military service and were to be supplied with arms in Natal, after which they were to be taken back to the Rand, and, at a signal, were to sieze and hold the fort at Johannesburg for twenty-four hours, awaiting the arrival of British troops. The trial of the accused persons failed to show any relation between this obscure plot and any Confer- department of the British home or colonial government. Bloemfontein ence and Sir Alfred At the suggestion of President Steyn, of the Orange Free State, Milner's a conference was held at Bloemfontein, the capital of that republic, Franchise between President Krüger and Sir Alfred Milner, the Governor of sals. Cape Colony and British High Commissioner for South Africa, for Propo the settlement of the franchise question. The conference lasted from May 31 to June 5, 1899, and ended in a disagreement, as was anticipated. Sir Alfred Milner proposed that the franchise be granted to every white man who had been five years in the Transvaal and was prepared to take the oath to obey the laws, to undertake all the obligations of citizenship, to defend the independence of the country and to renounce his citizenship of his native country, and who owned property and was of good character. President Krüger replied that if he granted Sir Alfred Milner's request the Transvaal would be controlled by foreigners and all power taken from the Boers, and made franchise proposals of his own, which were passed by the Transvaal Volksraad before the British authorities had any time to examine them. Propo sals. These proposals required a seven years' residence in the Transvaal President Krüger's for aliens to obtain the franchise, the applicant being required to Franchise signify his intention in writing to the Field Cornet, the Landdrost and the State Secretary. Two years later he might be naturalized, without receiving full citizenship rights, provided he produced a certificate, signed by the Field Cornet, the Landdrost and the Commandant of the district, stating that he never had violated any of the laws of the Republic. If these officials were not well enough informed as to the private life of the applicant then a sworn statement to the same effect, signed by two-thirds of his Boer neighbors, would be required. The certificate then would have to be handed to the State Attorney, who would return it with a legal opinion to the State Secretary. If the legal opinion were favorable the applicant might be granted the franchise; if unfavorable the matter was to be referred to the Executive Council. Sir Alfred Milner and the Uitlanders regarded this complicated scheme as impracticable, and Mr. Chamberlain proposed another meeting of British and Transvaal delegates to discuss President Krüger's proposed plan. The Transvaal government proposed a new franchise law giving a five year's retrospective franchise on condition that the British government would agree not in future to interfere in the Transvaal's internal affairs; not to insist further on its claims of suzerainty, and to agree to arbitration in controversies between Great Britain and the Transvaal Republic. Further Proposals and Counter Proposals. Relations Negotiations continued all the summer and early fall of 1899; and Strained in September the relations between Great Britain and the Transvaal became strained, as Great Britain would not relinquish her suzerainty claims, which President Krüger was determined to get rid of. New franchise proposals and counter proposals were made constantly by both parties; but the suzerainty question and the British paramountcy in South Africa gradually became the real issue, all British imperialists Military Preparations on Both Sides. recognizing that the British Empire itself was at stake, but Great Britain disclaiming any intention of annexing the Transvaal. In the meantime military preparations were continued by both parties with great urgency and under the greatest excitement. Uitlanders fled in consternation from Johannesburg, more than fifteen hundred having gone on September 9th. On October 7th armed Boers who had been assembling on the border between the Transvaal and Natal were preparing for a sudden invasion, but were reported as returning home because of scarcity of forage and supplies. The British feared that the Boers suddenly might declare war and attack and ravage the defenseless towns in the British colonies. In pursuance of a British order-in-council, a royal proclamation was issued for the summoning of Parliament and the mobilization of the reserves. All haste was made for gathering and transporting a large British military force to South Africa, and twenty-five thousand troops were ordered immediately to their colors, while General Sir Redvers Henry Buller was appointed to the chief command of the British forces in South Africa. A state of war practically existed for several days before the final diplomatic rupture. Boer Ultima tum and Invasion of British Territory. SECTION V.-THE GREAT BRITISH-BOER WAR ON October 9th the Transvaal government presented an ultimatum to Mr. Conyngham Greene, the British Agent at Pretoria, declaring that "Her Majesty's unlawful intervention in the internal affairs of the Republic has caused an intolerable condition of things to arise,” and demanding that all points of mutual difference be regulated by arbitration or any other amicable course which may be agreed upon; that the British troops on the frontiers of the Republic be withdrawn instantly, and that all reinforcements which had arrived in South Africa since June 1, 1899, or which were on the way thither be recalled at once; stating that if these demands were not complied with before 5 P. M. on October 11th the Transvaal government would regard the action of the British government as a formal declaration of war. In reply to the Transvaal ultimatum the British government stated that the peremptory demands of the government of the South African Republic were such as it was impossible to discuss. Mr. Conyngham Greene, the British Agent, left Pretoria on the day set for the expiration of the time fixed by the ultimatum and started for Cape Town. On the same day-October 11, 1899-President Steyn, of the Orange Free State, issued a proclamation to his people, denouncing the British government and calling on them to "stand up as one man against the oppressor and violator of right." On the same day both the Transvaal and Orange Free State forces invaded British territory, crossing their frontiers on both the east and the west, thus beginning an aggressive campaign before the British were prepared, the Boer forces outnumbering the British troops then in South Africa three to one. Thus the war was declared and begun by the Transvaal, and not by Great Britain. It was begun with the invasion of the British colonies of South Africa by the Boers, and not by the invasion of the Boer Republics by the British. This act of President Krüger was regarded in Great Britain, and in Europe and America generally, by his sympathizers and his opponents, as a false step, liable to unite all parties in Great Britain against him; and it had that effect very largely, as he practically told Great Britain to back down or fight. His declaration that "if the Republics must belong to England the cost will stagger humanity" was borne out by subsequent events. Lord Salisbury and his Cabinet generally had been anxious to avoid a war, and the Boer ultimatum was a great disappointment to them. The British Ministry regarded it with cynical amusement, as an unnecessary assumption, before the general public, of the responsibility for war. The press and people of Continental Europe generally were almost unanimously in sympathy with the Boers and in condemnation of what they called the British selfish greed for gold and land. In the United States public sentiment was divided; some being favorable to Great Britain's general course as just, wise and necessary, and others denouncing it as unjust and impolitic. It has been charged that the Emperor William II. of Germany secretly urged both parties on to the war, by urging Chamberlain to make demands on Krüger and then urging the Transvaal President to reject the British Colonial Secretary's demands; his object being to exhaust both parties by a fierce war, so that the German colonies in South-west Africa and East Africa would have no formidable rivals, and so that the Boers in those German colonies would be in no condition to make trouble for him. Cases. It has also been charged by the friends of the Boers everywhere that Parallel the Uitlanders wanted the suffrage so that they could vote away the independence of the Transvaal by voting for its annexation to the British Empire. This the British and the Uitlanders had denied resolutely all along. However this may be, the United States obtained its largest State and its first island possession in that way. Americans settled in the Mexican province of Texas, at the invitation of the Mexican government, and rebelled because they were dissatisfied with Santa Anna's government, and established their independence, and afterwards |