352 
THE WITWATERSRAXD AND 
up at Johannesburg, composed of enterprising, highl}" intelli- 
gent, and perhaps somewhat impatient men, hailing from many 
different lands — men as different as possible from the pastoral 
pioneers who com})Ose the South African Republic. The Boers 
and the foreigners, or “ Uitlanders,” as they are called in Dutch, 
Avere not congenial and the great mining camp has all along con- 
stituted a menace to the peace of the Republic. As every one 
now knows, the threatened danger was not averted. 
The dramatic incidents which have taken place in the Trans- 
vaal during the past ten months have drawn the attention of the 
Avhole world to that country. The interest in these events felt 
in the United States has been little less intense than that in Great 
Britain. This is entirely natural, for many of the leading men 
in Johannesburg are Americans ; indeed, the mining industry is 
chieily under the guidance of American engineers, and the United 
States was represented on the reform committee by seven mem- 
bers. It really behooves the American public therefore to know 
how prominent American representatives of an important pro- 
fession have behaved themselves under trying circumstances. 
While there is a natural sympathy in the United States for Anglo- 
Saxons taking up arms for their rights, Ave, as Republicans, also 
sympathize with the South African Republic in the endeavor to 
maintain its independence. This fellow-feeling makes it all the 
more interesting and important to examine carefull}’^ and, if 
haph’ such a thing is possible, imjjartially as Avell as carefully, 
into the causes and conduct of the revolt. 
I wish this inquiry had fallen into other hands than mine, 
l)ut 1 hapi)ened to visit the country in April for a stay of some 
months; several of the condemned men are old friends of mine 
as well as colleagues, it naturall}' fell to my part to make such 
efforts in their behalf as 1 could, and still in spite of these per- 
sonal relations it is clear to me that there is much to be said on 
the Boer side of the questions at issue. So far as opportunities 
go, therefore, I am perhaps in as good a position as any one can 
be to review the circumstances without prejudice. The great 
difficulty in this, as in a,ny inquiry of an historical nature, is to 
ascertain the facts, for these are differently represented by differ- 
ent though seemingly Avell-in formed persons. I trust it will be 
found that I have measurably succeeded. 
It Avould be impossible to understand the conditions Avhich 
led to the grievances of the Uitlanders without considering some 
