CHAPTER XXV. 



SEKUKUNI WAR, AND FALL OF 

 PRESIDENT BURGERS. 



During the session of the Volksraad in 1876, 

 letters were read from officials and others complain- 

 ing of the warlike attitude of Sekukuni, and his 

 subordinate "Johannes", details of which I will not 

 enlarge upon. A motion was brought forward 

 declaring that the action of the Bapedi tribe made 

 it imperative that war should be declared, and a 

 burgher commando called out. Commandant General 

 Piet Joubert, member for Wakkerstroom, and I, 

 ( member for the Pretoria district ) voted against the 

 resolution, on the ground that the Republic was not 

 then prepared to take the field ; that there was no 

 money in the Treasury ; and we also knew that a 

 section of the people were disaffected ; that Mr. 

 Burgers, who intended to take command, knew no- 

 thing of the Boer mode of fighting or of Kaffir war- 

 fare, and we feared disaster. Mr. Burgers, full of 

 confidence, gained the ear of the Raad, and the 

 resolution to declare war was passed, with our two 

 dissentient votes, which were recorded. When I 

 saw that war was inevitable, I begged President 

 Burgers not to take the responsibility of command, 

 asking him to appoint Mr. Paul Kruger, who knew 

 more about native warfare, who would also probably 

 work against him in his absence, and I pointed out 

 that if the Boer forces met with a reverse, he (Presi- 

 dent Burgers) would have the full blame. The evening 

 before he started he sent a messenger on horseback 



