The South-African crisis - pagina 39

THE SOUTH- AFRICAN

35

CRISIS.

London not more than fifteen years passed away before peace was disturbed. Though numbering less than a 100,000 the Boers were scattSince the convention of

an area as wide as that of the whole of

over

ered

They were burdened with a native population five times more numerous. Education and mental culture were wanting. The governor of the Cape harassed them w^ith incessant recriminations. They had at the same time to administer the protectorate of Swaziland and, to crown all, the discovery of the goldmines, and the accumulating wealth of a cosmoItaly,

politan immigration, dissarranged all their machinery of government. All had to be regulated at once

— the

railway service, the telegraph, national defence, mines,

And

education.

to accomplish that

dent Kruger was not able to find of technical capacity. of the

see,

Presi-

however, by the example

what the Boers can do when

left

and unhampered in their development.

At

Free

at peace

We

immense task

among the Boers men

State

Bloemfontein the educational institutions are already superior

to

those

at

the Cape.

Have not the Boers

also given proof of their genius for organisation in the

foundation of the small republics of Humpata, of Stella, of

Gozen,

and of Vryheid?

And

w^hat are they re-

proached for in the Transvaal ? Because they have not clearly

drawn up a had

constitution in writing ? But England

one and

dream of giving herself one. The absolute power of the Volksraad? But the English Parliament which, if the crown does not interpose its veto, is bound by no superior power, has

never

does

not

glories in its omnipotence. Is the charge of

infamy to

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