broken promise after promise, how you have permitted a venal and hireling crew to fatten on the industry by which your land has prospered, how you have not only set your face against the reasonable demands of those who have made you what you are, but how you have turned your face away from the poor and the destitute, and with an overflowing treasury, insisted upon heaping up dues on the very necessaries of life, which your own sluggish and unprogressive burghers have refused to supply.

"More. still; you have attempted to turn a free Republic into an autocratic oligarchy. You have done all that in you lay to bring the natural representation of the people into a court of appeal, of which you were to be the final judge. You have endeavoured to reduce the bench of justice into a mere puppet of your own arbitrary will. You have dreamt of a power by the side of which the most absolute rule in the whole world would appear to be a liberal and popular Government."

And so on, and so on. In the book from which I have quoted, every leading official of the Transvaal Government is vilified and vituperated in language even more violent and malignant than that applied to President Kruger. I must apologise to my readers for inflicting on them such a long extract from this book. I only do it to show that in the Transvaal Republic the Press has not only liberty but licence. One would very much like to

know what is this writer's conception of an "autocratic oligarchy," and one would also very much like to know what would have been this writer's fate if he had indited and published under an "autocratic oligarchy" such observations as those which he has addressed to the President and State Officials of the country under whose protection he was living and whose asylum he has so outraged.

CHAPTER VIII

JAMESON'S RAID: THE STORY OF A TRAGIC FIASCO

ON the 26th December 1895, the National Reform Union at Johannesburg issued a manifesto to the people of the Transvaal, detailing the reforms demanded by the Uitlanders. These reforms were as follows:

1. The establishment of the Republic as a true republic under a constitution approved of by the whole nation.

2. An amicable franchise and fair representation. 3. The equality of the Dutch and English languages.

4. The responsibility to the legislature of the heads of the great departments.

5. The removal of religious disabilities.

6. The establishment of independent courts of justice, with adequate pay for the judges to be properly secured.

7. Liberal education.

8. An efficient civil service, with adequate pay and pension system.

9. Free trade in African products.

The manifesto concluded with these ominous words: "We shall expect an answer in plain terms, according to your deliberate judgment, at the meeting to be held on January 6th.”

On the 29th December, or just three days after the date of this manifesto, Mr Chamberlain, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, despatched to Sir Hercules Robinson, Her Majesty's High Commissioner for South Africa, the following extraordinary cablegram: -"Strictly confidential. It has been suggested, although I do not think it probable, that an endeavour might be made to force matters at Johannesburg to a head by some one in the service of the Company advancing from Bechuanaland Protectorate with police. Were this to be done, I should have to take action under Articles 22 and 8 of the Charter. Therefore, if necessary, but not otherwise, remind Rhodes of these Articles, and intimate to him that, in your opinion, he would not have my support, and point out the consequences which would follow." The following day, December 30th, the High Commissioner cabled to Mr Chamberlain as follows:"I learn on good authority movement at Johannesburg has collapsed. Internal divisions have led to the complete collapse of the movement, and leaders of the National Union will now probably make the best terms they can with President Kruger." The same afternoon, the Secretary for the Colonies cabled to Sir Hercules Robinson :-" Your telegram received. Are you sure Jameson has not moved in consequence of collapse ? See my telegram of yesterday." A

quarter of an hour subsequent to forwarding this cablegram, Mr Chamberlain received the following one from the High Commissioner:-"Information reached me this morning that Dr Jameson was preparing to start yesterday evening for Johannesburg with a force of police. I telegraphed at once as follows: To the Resident Commissioner in the Bechuanaland Protection. There is a rumour here that Dr Jameson has entered the Transvaal with an armed force. Is this correct? If it is, send a special messenger on a fast horse directing him to return at once. A copy of this telegram shall be sent to the officers with him, and they shall be told Her Majesty's Government repudiate this violation of the territory of a friendly State, and that they are rendering themselves liable to severe penalties." If I hear from Newton that the police have entered the Transvaal, shall I inform President Kruger that Her Majesty's Government repudiate Jameson's action?" A little later on the same day, the Colonial Secretary received the following cablegraphic despatch from Sir Hercules Robinson:-"I have received the following from the British Agency in the South African Republic: 30th December. Very urgent. President of South African Republic sent for me, and the General then read to us a telegram from Landdrost of Zeerust, that a number of British troops have entered the Transvaal Republic from Mafeking and cut the wire, and are now on the march to Johannesburg. I assured the President that I could not believe the force consisted of British troops. The General