After the Retrocession 175 



colonies, and the greater portion of the slave trade 

 all over the world was carried on in English ships, 

 and with the knowledge of the English poeple. In 

 view of this, and notwithstanding the philanthropic 

 feeling which prompted the Act of Emancipation, 

 the arbitrary manner in which slave owners were 

 treated, the way they were paid, the partial com- 

 pensation awarded, the disorganisation, ( social, 

 industrial and commercial ) involved could not be 

 justified. The gradual emancipation, (having due 

 consideration for the industrial interest of the com- 

 munity ) they could understand, but the sudden ces- 

 sation of work and the consequent ruin, they could 

 not forget. The West Indies were also ruined in 

 like manner. Again, the policy pursued by the 

 British Government towards the turbulent and raid- 

 ing native tribes on the Eastern borders ; and 

 especially the ill-considered act of Lord Glenelg 

 in siding with and re-instating the Kaffirs after 

 heavy sacrifices made by the burghers and British 

 troops in driving the marauders out of the colony 

 caused thousands of people to seek homes elsewhere. 

 At the same time it must be admitted that the 

 South African Boers were not satisfied under any 

 Government. They had been insubordinate under 

 the Dutch or Batavian rule, and subsequently under 

 the British and the Transvaal Boer Government, 

 but they made no allowance for that. They only 

 remembered what they considered the harsh and 

 unsympathetic treatment of the ruling authorities. 

 As their history shows, since the days of the old 

 Batavian Government, the Dutch Boers have been 

 intolerant of strict discipline, of taxation or any 

 restrictions. Although they did not go to extremes, 

 there were frequent dissensions among the parties of 

 trekkers during the occupation of the Free State, 



