Majesty's Government is determined to destroy
the independence of the Republics, there is nothing left to us and
to our people but to persevere to the end in the course already
begun, in spite of the overwhelming pre-eminence of the British
Empire, conscious that that God who lighted the inextinguishable
fire of the love of freedom in our hearts and those of our fathers
will not forsake us, but will accomplish His work in us and in our
descendants.
'We hesitated to make this declaration earlier to your Excellency
as we feared that, as long as the advantage was always on our side,
and as long as our forces held defensive positions far in Her
Majesty's Colonies, such a declaration might hurt the feelings of
honour of the British people. But now that the prestige of the
British Empire may be considered to be assured by the capture of
one of our forces, and that we are thereby forced to evacuate other
positions which we had occupied, that difficulty is over and we can
no longer hesitate to inform your Government and people in the
sight of the whole civilised world why we are fighting and on what
conditions we are ready to restore peace.'
Such was the message, deep in its simplicity and cunning in its
candour, which was sent by the old President, for it is Kruger's
style which we read in every line of it. One has to get back to
facts after reading it, to the enormous war preparations of the
Republics, to the unprepared state of the British Colonies, to the
ultimatum, to the annexations, to the stirring up of rebellion, to
the silence about peace in the days of success, to the fact that by
'inextinguishable love of freedom' is meant inextinguishable
determination to hold other white men as helots - only then can we
form a just opinion of the worth of his message. One must remember
also, behind the homely and pious phraseology, that one is dealing
with a man who has been too cunning for us again and again - a man
who is as wily as the savages with whom he has treated and fought.
This Paul Kruger with the simple words of peace is the same Paul
Kruger who with gentle sayings insured the disarmament of
Johannesburg, and then instantly arrested his enemies - the man
whose name was a by-word for 'slimness' [craftiness] throughout
South Africa. With such a man the best weapon is absolute naked
truth with which Lord Salisbury confronted him in his reply: -
Foreign Office: March 11th.
'I have the honour to acknowledge your Honours' telegram dated
March 5th from Bloemfontein, of which the purport was principally
to demand that Her Majesty's Government shall recognise the
"incontestable independence" of the South African Republic and
Orange Free State as "sovereign international States," and to offer
on those terms to bring the war to a conclusion.
'In the beginning of October last peace existed between Her Majesty
and the two Republics under the conventions which then were in
existence. A discussion had been proceeding for some months between
Her Majesty's Government and the South African Republic, of which
the object was to obtain redress for certain very serious
grievances under which British residents in the. Republic were
suffering. In the course of those negotiations the Republic had, to
the knowledge of Her Majesty's Government, made considerable
armaments, and the latter had consequently taken steps to provide
corresponding reinforcements to the British garrisons of Cape Town
and Natal. No infringement of the rights guaranteed by the
conventions had up to that time taken place on the British side.
Suddenly, at two days' notice, the South African Republic, after
issuing an insulting ultimatum, declared war, and the Orange Free
State with whom there had not even been any discussion, took a
similar step. Her Majesty's dominions were immediately invaded by
the two Republics, siege was laid to three towns within the British
frontier, a large portion of the two Colonies was overrun with
great destruction to property and life, and the Republics claimed
to treat the inhabitants as if those dominions had been annexed to
one or other of them. In anticipation of these operations the South
African Republic had been accumulating for many years past military
stores upon an enormous scale, which by their character could only
have been intended for use against Great Britain.
'Your Honours make some observations of a negative character upon
the object with which these preparations were made. I do not think
it necessary to discuss the questions which you have raised. But
the result of these preparations, carried on with great secrecy,
has been that the British Empire has been compelled to confront an
invasion which has entailed a costly war and the loss of thousands
of precious lives. This great calamity has been the penalty which
Great Britain has suffered for having in recent years acquiesced in
the existence of the two Republics.
'In view of the use to which the two Republics have put the
position which was given to them, and the calamities which their
unprovoked attack has inflicted upon Her Majesty's dominions, Her
Majesty's Government can only answer your Honours' telegram by
saying that they are not prepared to assent to the independence
either of the South African Republic or of the Orange Free State.'
With this frank and uncompromising reply the Empire, with the
exception of a small party of dupes and doctrinaires, heartily
agreed. The pens were dropped, and the Mauser and the Lee-Metford
once more took up the debate.
CHAPTER 22.
THE HALT AT BLOEMFONTEIN.
On March 13th Lord Roberts occupied the capital of the Orange Free
State. On May 1st, more than six weeks later, the advance was
resumed.
