British subjects resident in South Africa have read with interest the comments upon the South African crisis made by the leading newspapers at home. But the perusal of these comments has not given thei unqualified pleasure; for it is evident that out home journalists are not cognisant of the correct position of affairs out here. For instance, the Guardian and the Economist both express the opinion that they do not see why England and the Transvaal should go to war, with all the possibilities of a long racial feud in South Africa, because "President Kriiger and Sir Alfred Milner, cannot agree as to the exact period of qualification for voting power in the South. African Republic," he author of this article, a stranger to me personally, writes to me that he ' be: Tongs to no political party, and cannot claim the acquaintance of any politician of note.' [Bo. Neserenxrs CzstO=y]-
To our countrymen doubt, is looked upon as the rs of the situation; but it is not so soothing or satisfying to us who live out are consequently able te di: the radical mischief is really centred. The question at issue is not the franchise for the Uitlander, but—british Sapre Now, to talk of " British Supremacy perhaps, an appeal to jingoism, and our comfortable critics at home will at once discredit all remarks caning from one can make use of s bumptious phrase. But there is no ake a gallery appeal. Rather will I let plain facts speak for themselves.
understand the crisis in South Africa, one must first understand the Boer nature. The perspective view of that nature, ax seen from the shores of the all country, is charming—quite The Boers supposed to be a tanieal people, wh wh thei Gelds and wattle the day, and hey are regarded as pioneers of civilisation—a rugged race who storm the wild fastnesses of Dame Nature, and subdue her wild moods with their indoni tle will, Truly, distance Tends enchantment, Instead of this, the Boers are 4 more nor less than " low type of the guns homo.
Evolution teaches us that hunger was the first schoolmaster of the bunyan ra wlé for life was a strug for nutriment; and our prehistoric fathers ca fed on' th struggle individually, ercotat, to ce-operate meant to Inve (instead of dow their gains, Mistrust was the fetter with which Man used to be bound, Therefore men lived apart, and because they lived apart they mistrusted each other.
Now mistrust is the key note of the Boor ure. Mistrust ix the strength of the afrikander Bond. Mistrust is the festering sore in South to have been the pioneers of civilisation but, in ct, they were only refugees from the' levelling-up influences of sed community. Mistrust of their fellow-men made them teck northward across the Vaal and mistrust of each other impelled them to established their homesteads at such great distances from each other that a fow thousands occupied a tract of country tw the size of England. In self-sought cape the tide of civili-Through no fault of theirs, they have become the owners of a fabulously rich mineral country. Through nie fault of theirs, the hidden wealth was discovered. Without effort on their part Tohannesburg bes sprung up, and the gold-mining industry has been firmly established. Against their will, they have been compelled to form a Government; and latterly have been drawn into contact with the civilised nations of the world. The congested populations of European cities are hound to relieve themselves by overflow to those parts of the earth where there ix plenty of room. It is natural some should come to these jurts, where, as Mr. Rhodes has said, we have the diamonds and the gold, the health and the climate, The world is now too small fur 45,000 Dutch burghers to wish to have all to themselves territory nearly as large as the British sies, where there are 500 persons to each square mile. Apart from questions of Suzerainty and an 1884 Convention, the selfism of a small number of enemies to progress, driven by mistrust of one another to occupy a vast tract of land far beyond the actual requirements of the struggle for nutriment, must be condemned in these days when old-time demarcations are break: ing down, and the young man claims to be cosmopolite Mistrust has put the Boers at the head of affairs in the Transvaal, and Mistrust keeps them there. There is an onganisation existent in South Africa which owes its strength to Mistrust, and that organisasaid, the cles play their res n—to do it justice—18 connect= ed itself with the by motor nerves only, What the brain orders the muscles most obey. the Boers "duration has except of late years. en sare still the exception, not the rule, Boer is conscious of hi and looks up to the educated in the Univer> hor Amsterdam with om. Tt was only natural woniat Dutchmen should discover that they were Admirablo ich tens to ordinary individ of Europe, Here portunity, and they tou nid lucky stroke position, wealth, and. power, erate countrymen idolise them, obey them, and ai the same time mistrust them, Mr. Jan Hofmeyr and President. K fiver are the brain of the Afri Bond. Some aim had to be discovered by which this vast: organism, which covers South Afrien fom: Table Bay to the Limpopo, might be The Brain found what they words *Ons Lunt." Historical facts were disregarded, gratitude for past henelits never dreamt of. south Africa for the Afrikaners' was the ery uttered by th ts riy loudly as i oiled Great is Diana of the Bphe: The inevitable confusion followed; some cried one thing and some another." Then the great Gram= mates, Hofmeyr, told the people what hey must do; they must form (themselves into wu Afrikander Bond and obey all commands issued from Camp Street and Pretoria, 'Our Jul,' as the Borrs call Mr. Hofmeyr, was from. that time an important political factor in South Africa. He has under hima an unthinking machine, which acts with the precision of an auto:
control large sites of miniey, aube He is currently supposed to have
plied by the Transvaal Government,' with which he ow farther tical schemes is Bund victories, His object is -to undermine British Supromacy in South Africa, Fortuitous ices and a blind Imperial have assisted him beyond his fondest dreams, Too Gladstone fiasco was the root of all our present troubles in South Africa, Briefly the history of that fin seo may be told. After the South African Republic had been established, a Bapedi chief, named Sekukuni, made war. The Boers were unable to conquer him, The country was in x desperate plight. The burghers would not fight nor pay takes, the exchequer was empty nud the Government helpless, Sir Theophilus Shepstone was sent by the British Government to ware events. Accomp: by about thirty mounted policemen he arrived at Pretoria, anid received petitions from the inhabitants praying that. the country night be annexed to the British Crown. This was done. The only mistake Sir Theophilus made was in not taking a plebiscite. Paul Kriiger, Joubert, Pretorius, and" few more leading spirits declared the country had been annexed against the wish of the people, and, led by them, the Boers began the war of independence in 1881. After the catastrophes at Bronker's Spruit and Majuba Hill the Gladstone Cabinet put aside all thought of prestige and empire, and in a mistaken magnanimous spirit gave hack the Ty to the Boers. From that time nothing can persuade the Boers that the English Government is not afraid of them, and they cherish the tradition
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.