104 



CAPE COLONY AND SOUTH AFRICA. 



armed Boers, while property of enormous value 

 will l>o in tiic greulest peril: we can not contem- 

 plate Ilic future without tin- gravest: apprehension, 

 and feel that we are justified in taking any steps to 

 prevent the shedding of blood and to insure the 

 protection of our rights. It is under these circum- 

 stances thai we feel const rained to call upon you 

 to come to our aid should a disturbance arise. 



The circumstances are so extreme that we can 

 not avoid this step, and we can not believe that 

 you and the men under you will fail to come to 

 the rescue of people who will be so situated. 



We guarantee any expense that may reasonably 

 be incurred by you in helping us, and ask you to 

 believe that nothing but the sternest necessity has 

 prompted tin's appeal." 



The Premier of Cape Colony, Cecil Rhodes, and 

 the directors and managers of the Chartered Com- 

 pany, the De Beers Company, of Kimberley, and 

 the (Jold Fields Company, of Johannesburg, formed 

 a plan to utilize the discontent of the Johannesburg 

 population for the overthrow of the Transvaal Gov- 

 ernment by an armed insurrection and an incursion 

 of the forces of the British South Africa Company. 

 It was made clear later by the publication of tele- 

 grams from the officers of these companies in Cape 

 Town, Kimberley, and Johannesburg that Jameson 

 was acting under the orders of his superior when 

 he prepared the invasion ; that Cecil Rhodes was 

 expected to direct in person the revolution in 

 Johannesburg; and that the money and arms were 

 furnished by those great companies. The move- 

 ment of Dr. Jameson was premature not only for 

 the purposes of the Uitlanders in Johannesburg who 

 were ripe for insurrection but not for revolution, 

 but also for the purposes of the conspirators in 

 ('ape Town and Kimberley, whose associates in 

 Johannesburg could not control the developments 

 there as they expected. The capitalists financing 

 the movement had made the hoisting of the British 

 flag a condition sine qua non, but this the National 

 Union rejected, and issued a manifesto declaring 

 for a republic. The chief conspirators in Johannes- 

 burg, who were in constant communication with 

 the leaders in Kimberley and Rhodesia, were Dr. 

 Wolff; Col. Rhodes, brother of Cecil Rhodes, the 

 Cape Premier and head of the South Africa Com- 

 pany ; Lionel Phillips ; and Charles Leonard. On 

 Dec. 7 Dr. Wolff went to Mafeking to consult with 

 Dr. Jameson and examine all the preparations for 

 the invasion. Arms were smuggled into Johannes- 

 burg in large quantities, concealed in coal cars and 

 in merchandise packages. In the latter part of De- 

 cember rumors were circulated regarding an intend- 

 ed Boer attack upon Johannesburg. Great anxiety 

 was expressed as to the safety of the women and chil- 

 dren. A manifesto was published on Dec. 26, 1895, 

 by Dr. Charles Leonard, chairman of the Transvaal 

 National 1'nioii, in which the grievances of the Uit- 

 landere were summarized. The objects of the Union 

 w^re defined to be the maintenance of the independ- 

 ence of the Republic, the securing of equal rights, 

 and the redress of grievances. Two successive peti- 

 tions, one signed by 1 :].()< K) and the other by 32,500 

 per-ons, were presented to the Volksraad. praying 

 that the franchise might lie granted, had been re- 

 . and BO the vast majority of the people of the 

 Mate, a majority owning , U ore' than half Uie land 

 and at least nine tent hs of t he property, were left in 

 all matters affecting their lives, their' liberties, and 

 their properties with absolutely no voice. Taxation 

 \\a- im|i'i-ed without representation, and it, was in- 

 equitable and unduly burdensome on the necessaries 

 of life. There was ttO control over the expenditure 

 "'' th of the State, nine tent hs of which 



were derived f r, , MI t he [' it landers. The administra- 

 ti" 11 "f j- .-rave unrest. Gross corruption 



prevailed in the Government service. The restric- 

 tions placed upon the natives stopped the sources 

 of labor supply for the mines. State aid in educa- 

 tion was practically denied to the people who sub- 

 scribed the bulk of the revenue. Proper municipal 

 government was refused. The railways were mis- 

 managed. Monopolies on necessaries were granted, 

 and the development of the country in every way 

 was retarded. The general policy of the Govern- 

 ment was based on intense hostility to the English- 

 speaking population. A set purpose existed to pre- 

 vent the working classes from settling. Instead of 

 trying to unite the people by a broad policy of 

 justice and the granting of equal rights, the Govern- 

 ment tried to keep the Uitlanders in subjection by 

 the power of the sword ; and large sums of money, 

 raised from the Uitlanders, were to be used for 

 building forts at Pretoria and Johannesburg for the 

 express purpose of overawing the Uitlanders. What 

 was desired was an independent republic that 

 should be a true republic, in which every man who 

 is prepared to take the oath of allegiance shall have 

 equal rights. The demands of the Uitlanders were 

 summarized as follows: (1) The establishment of 

 the Republic as a true republic. (2) A Grundwet 

 or Constitution which shall be framed by competent 

 persons selected by representatives of the whole 

 people, and framed on lines laid down by them, a 

 Constitution which shall be safeguarded from hasty 

 alteration. (3) An equitable franchise law and fair 

 representation. (4) Equality of the Dutch and 

 English languages. (5) Responsibility of the heads 

 of the great departments to the Legislature. (6) Re- 

 moval of religious disabilities. (7) Independence 

 of the courts of justice, with adequate and sure 

 remuneration for the judges. (8) Liberal and com- 

 prehensive education. (9) An efficient civil service, 

 with adequate provision for pay and pension. (10) 

 Free trade in South African products. 



H. Jennings and H. C. Perkins went to Pretoria 

 to convey to President Kriiger the sentiments of 

 the Americans on the Rand. They assured him 

 that Americans recognized the rights of the Boers 

 as well as of the Uitlanders, but that, unless he 

 could meet the demands of the unenfranchised 

 people of the Transvaal, he could not expect their 

 support if a revolution came. They pointed out 

 that outside forces would come in if war was pre- 

 cipitated, and that meant the overthrow of the 

 Republic, which the Americans wanted to see pre- 

 served, but reconstructed on a truer basis. Presi- 

 dent Kriiger replied that it was not a time for dis- 

 cussion but a time for the people to obey the law. 



The leaders in Johannesburg expected, in case of 

 an uprising, to have 20,000 men under arms. About 

 3,000 were recruited, armed, and drilled. When it 

 came to the point of invoking the armed interven- 

 tion of the South Africa Company's forces dissen- 

 sions arose among the members of the Reform 

 Committee. Some of the English members were 

 in favor of raising the British flag, but others, 

 especially the American Hammond, were loyal to 

 the professions of the National Union and desired 

 to preserve the republican government. Their 

 views prevailed, and hence telegrams were sent for- 

 bidding the projected raid of Jameson. To make, 

 sure that Jameson would not persist in his rash 

 purpose and thus upset all their plans, the Johan- 

 nesburg leaders dispatched two messengers to warn 

 him not to move from the place where he was. 

 These messengers, Major Ileany, an American, and 

 I'M ward Holden, arrived at Mafeking before the 

 departure of the expedition, but their warnings 

 and expostulations failed to deter Dr. Jameson 

 from his projected invasion. 



Johannesburg remained in its normal condition 

 till Dec. 30, though a revolution was momentarily 



