they did what they could in a peaceful way by protecting fugitives and the like. Almost immediately after the peace the Boers, under Cronjé, attacked them; and the Royal Commission sent up an officer in company with a Boer to endeavour to put an end to the fighting. The Boers retired for a time, but after the Convention was signed, they recommenced attacking the chiefs, who paid dearly for their faith in the English. The terrorism in the Transvaal itself was so notorious that the Royal Commission issued a proclamation forbidding any attempts at coercion; but, as may be imagined under the circumstances, it produced no effect. 2 There was, whether in accordance with instructions or not, an evident desire on the part of all the officials concerned to ignore any unpleasant facts. The members of the deputation of which I formed part found great difficulty in securing interviews with the Commission; and the nature and extent of their powers were sedulously kept secret. While we were treated at arm'slength, the Boers were received almost with enthusiasm, and the matter became so glaring, that at length upon the suggestion of the Times' correspondent, we filed a written protest. This protest secured us an interview, at which we made application to be allowed to bring evidence tending to show the futility of the peace arrangements. The Commission declined to receive any evidence of that nature, and we were obliged to limit ourselves to evidence on the details of the arrangements. At the last interview of our deputation with the Commission, which took place immediately before I left for England, I had the pleasure of telling them, in somewhat plainer language than they expected, 2 See Blue Book C. 3219, p. 161. what we thought of their proceedings and of the peace generally; and Sir Henry De Villiers seemed rather astonished when I informed the Commissioners that I did not consider the deserted Englishmen who were left behind would be morally to blame if they acted as the Boers had done towards the English, and formed a government on their own account. Indeed, the members of the Commission generally, with the exception perhaps of Sir Evelyn Wood, seemed shocked that an Englishman should venture to hint that the only way of piercing the thick moral hide of the Gladstone Ministry was by becoming dangerous and disloyal.* At the beginning of June I left Natal for England, and joined Mr. White. It will, however, be convenient, before detailing what took place in England, to finish up with the Royal Commission, though such a course may cause a little confusion in the dates. On the 1st of June they left for Pretoria. It had been intended they should leave earlier, but the attitude of the Boers rendered it necessary to postpone their departure. It had been discovered that the Potchefstroom garrison had been cheated into a surrender, by a detention of the provisions which were sent to them under the terms of the armistice. In order to satisfy the demands of military "honour," General Wood demanded that 3 See Blue Book C. 3114, p. 203. I must say that while we were at Newcastle we received secret intelligence of the formation of a corps of filibusters, which went so far that the officers were actually appointed, and over 400 men were enrolled. It is only due to the Loyalists' Committee to state that they used all their endeavours to put down the movement, which would probably have led to an outbreak of the natives, and to fierce retaliatory measures on the part of the Boers; and it was mainly through them that the corps was disbanded. My remarks to the Commission only applied to the purely ethical view, and I did not in any way support or assist in the movement. the guns taken by the Boers should be restored, and that a British detachment should reoccupy the town. There was a good deal of demur on the part of the Boers, and at one time it looked as if war were going to break out again; but at length the guns came down to Newcastle, and a troop was sent up under the protection of one of the Boer officers, which marched into Potchefstroom and marched out again. The Commission did not arrive in Pretoria till the 13th of June. The loyalists there, despairing of justice, and as a last resource, proposed that a plébiscite by ballot should be taken to ascertain the real feeling of the country, and to arrive at a correct estimate of the proportion of Europeans to Boers; but this was refused. All the efforts of those who had been faithful to the crown were in vain. The star of the victorious rebels was in the ascendant. The British Government had made up its mind to abandon the country at any sacrifice; and on the 3rd of August the Convention was signed and published. A large meeting of native chiefs was summoned to hear the determination of the British Ministry. About 300 were present, and they were addressed by Sir Hercules Robinson in a speech which bears marks of Downing Street. He informed the natives that the Transvaal had been annexed four years ago because it was believed a majority of "those who had a voice in the government of the country" preferred British rule. Subsequent events had shown that this belief was mistaken, and the British Government, with "that sense of justice which befits a great and powerful nation," gave orders that the country should be given back upon certain conditions, in which the interests of the natives had not been overlooked. There was to be a British Resident, but if they required protection, they were to look to the Government of the country, i.e. the Boer Government. There was to be no more slavery, because just as in the Sand River Convention slavery was forbidden, so it was in the new convention. All was to be peace and harmony, and though they were being handed back to their former rulers, England would not forget them. The Reverend Mr. Moffatt, who translated this speech to the natives, told me afterwards Sir Hercules Robinson read it with evident reluctance, and retired precipitately upon its conclusion. I do not wonder. The most callous official must have blushed to have read such a speech. The poor natives remained on the market-square, where the speech was read, refusing to believe what they heard. Officials were sent to them to explain the contents of the document, but still they would not believe. They said it could not be. It was impossible for England to break her promises. They sat like statues for six long hours, till it was at length beaten into them that England had made up its mind to desert them. It was not until night fell over the scene that they left, carrying to their kraals the evil news of their abandonment, and of the resumption of power by their former masters. When the troops returned from the square, where they had been assembled to give greater éclat to the proclamation of the signing of the Convention, they were headed by Bezuidenhout, the Boer through the seizure of whose waggon the war commenced. He rode in front of the band on a large grey horse, triumphing over the failure of the British. It was a fitting conclusion to the war which he began. 273 THE CHAPTER XV. INSTRUCTIONS TO THE ROYAL COMMISSION, THEIR The instructions to the Royal Commission-Lord Kimberley's directions-The report of the Commission-They recommend that murders should be tried by the ordinary tribunals—Their abandonment of the idea of severing part of the country-Sir Evelyn Wood dissents-The wisdom of his dissent subsequently proved -Failure of the trials for murder-Compensation to the loyalists -Appointment of a British Resident-Provisions for the protection of natives-Affirmation of the Sand River ConventionThe Zoutspansberg district to be included in the TransvaalThe finances of the new State-Present to the Boers-The Convention and its provisions. THE Royal Commission acted under special instructions from Lord Kimberley. These instructions were carefully kept secret while the Commission was sitting at Newcastle at all events from the loyals-but they have since been published.1 66 The Commissioners were instructed that entire freedom must be granted to the new Transvaal Government, so far as should be consistent with the claims of the Suzerain," a term which had been chosen on account of the facilities it afforded of telling the Boers in the Transvaal that it meant complete self-government as regarded the interior affairs of the country; while, at See the White Book, C. 2892. 2 See General Wood's statement to Kruger, C. 2950, p. 125. T |