Tae letter which Sir Battle Frere addressed to the Times on 23rd Febraary last, onthe subject of the annexation by the British Government of the Transvaal, explains fally how Sir'Theophilus Shepstone was persuaded to effect that annexation, but does not Jeave it perfectly clear that. the: Boers agreed to the step at the time. The facts are sufficiently well-known. The Boers were at war with Secocoeni, and had unsuccessfully attacked his fortress and dispersed. They had no money to pay, to their officers, their men, or Ubeir contractors. There was a general ion, which events have, since contradicted, that they were cowards and unfit to fight even Zulus. The Cape authorities feared that the Transvaal would be overrun by the Zalus, and our colonists dreaded not only the apprehended destruction of white men by natives, but also the prestige which the success over one white Government would give these natives their struggles with the Bri Theophilus Shepstone, with one subinspector and twenty-five policemen, but. with no British troops, was sent by Lord Carnarvon to meet Mr. Burgers, the President of the Transvaal Republic, and discuss the situation. A special session of the Volksraad was convened, at which our Envoy offered terms, and insisted on reforms, to which the Volkeraad was unable lo agree: on which Sir Theophilus Shepstone annexed the country. The executive Council agreed to the annexation, with one dissents but the most curious-fonturo of the performance is that to quiet the minds of those who might be opposed to the mensure, it was agreed between Sir T. Shepstone and the' executive Council that President Burgers should issue a protest against the annexation, We can hardly believe that our Buvoy agreed to this last condition, if it was m mere farce. Tt looks rather as if there wasa much stronger feeling against the annexation than Sir T. Shepstone intended to be believed. Wo can quite understand the President and Council agreeing to be annexed at the time, Their condition' was desperate. There was actually only a sum of 12s, 6d. in the Treasury the taxes could not be collected commandoes or levies refused to Tikely to have their own way. But the in the field; the Zulus seemed
issue of this protest ought surely to have suggested to our Government that there was some, meaning behind it: that meaning probably being that whenever the occasion came, and we had removed all dread of Zulu invasion, the Boers would turn to the protest and on the strength of it reassert their independence, Indeed, with the return of porce, the Boers did not receive the concessions which they expected, and even two years ago they had grievances, which, as Sir Battle Frere owns, might have been and caught to have been redressed, They had been led to expect Constitution with really representative ions, but this they have never received; and they complained, with what justice we are not informed, that "though the people of England and the Government meant todo what was right and just, yet the English officials and army commanders misrepresented facts, till they hnd come to think that it was hopeless to look for justice." Without it is dificult to know what the Boors really have for their 1; it is obvious from their history, which is a record of repeated removals before the advance of the British power, that there is a want of sympathy between these Africanders and our officials which prevents them from accepting our rule; and they probably felt that unless they strack for their freedom, they would not get it, Unfortunately, the low opinion entertained of their courage by our men was itself an obstacle to their vequesta_heing granted; and to the same unfounded opinion are no doubt due the successive defeats which have been suffered by our troops ander Sir George Colley. We know by late telegrams that the autonomy which desired has been granted them, British suzerainty, the British Government retaining a Resident at their capital and controlling their foreign policy. The unrural man feels sorry that they did not receive thrashing before terms were made with them.
When the Ionian Islands were ceded to Greece, Prince Bismarck is reported to have said that the begun to give up te acquired, had begun to decline. But England has given up so much at different periods in her history, thal she can bear the remark with equanimity. Our possessions at the Cape are large enough to make the loss of such country as the Transvaal, acquired in such an equivocal manner, rather what-is termed in popular parlance a good riddance, than an event to be lamented: and our Government was doubtless encouraged to restore their independence to the Buers, by the knowledge that in the acquisition of Delngoa Bay, they bad obtained such a commanding portion in South-East Africn as to make the ownership of the Transvaal portant. As with Candabar, so with the Transvaal; it is better to have contented friends than unwilling subjects. In these days of respect for the principle of nation ality, the annexation of populations against their has gone out of repute, Sir T. Shepstone's desire to annex the Transvaal 1877 was partly due to the hope that it would assist the much-desired confederation of the South African -States and Colonies; and Sir Battle Frere's failure to effect this federation has made British rule in the Transvaal less necessary. As population augments and the number of British settlers, who are now. the chief colonisers, increase, this federation will certainly come in time; and the leaders of the Boers themselves have expressed their readiness to join, when the time is ripe. Large tracta of Iand in the Transvaal itself are already owned by Englishmen, and the native inhabitants of the country are more drawn to the English than the Africander rule; it is subject for congratulation that our Government has hnd the moral courage now to make terma with the Boers without farther bloodsheddin, and before many years we may hope to see the Transvaal join the other States of South Africa in a federation whioh shall emulate and surpass the coming Australian Union.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.