THE WITWATERSRAXD AND 
‘M'A 
smuggle them. A few tliousand were brought in secreted under 
coke. A portion of tliese arms was forwarded by memlier.s of 
the British South Africa Com])any, l)etter known as the Char- 
tered Company. An arrangement was also made with Dr Jame- 
son, and it lias been alleged at his suggestion, that if matters 
were to go wrong at Johannesburg and the Boers should attack 
it the Chartered Company’s administrator should come to the 
rescue with a body of men who as a matter of fact were chiefly 
]tolicemen of the compain'. 
The National Union had formed no plot against the independ- 
ence of the republic, their idea lieing either to frighten the ad- 
ministration into granting redress of grievances or at most to 
substitute forcibly a more liberal administration for the present 
one. Such an administration would treat commerce more gen- 
erously and stimulate trade with Cajie Colon}'. This, in the 
opinion of the Uitlanders, would sufhciently rejiay Dr Jameson, 
if, indeed, he re<piired reward for coming to the re.scue of his 
countrymen and countrywomen in case of need. 
The union issued a manifesto, defining its demands, on Decem- 
ber ‘2b, 1805. On the 30th news was received that Dr Jameson 
had cro.ssed the border, contrary to agreement and in spite of 
requests on the part of the leaders of the union to remain beyond 
the boundary. The same day the reform committee was formed 
expressly because, as the notice to members states, Jameson’s 
crossing the border ‘‘ renders it necessary to take active steps for 
the defense of Johannesburg and the jireservation of order.” 
Befiire dawn on the morning of the 31st the leaders received 
information that on Jameson’s arrival the British flag would be 
lioisted. This was portentous news for all parties. Without any 
consent on their own part, the reformers were made partners in 
an atteinjit at conquest instead of reformation. For the Ameri- 
cans the situation was particularly grave. For an American to 
assist in overthrowing a republic in order to aggrandize a mon- 
arch v would l)e to forfeit all respect from his countrymen. There 
is not the slightest evidence tliat any one of the seven Americans 
on the committee either contemplated such a crime or welcomed 
the situation thrust U{)on them. Mr John Hays Hammond, the 
only American among the leaders, took the aj)propriate step as 
soon as possible after daylight. He hoisted the Transvaal flag 
and he both demanded and obtained an oath of allegiance to it 
from the members of the reform committee, some eighty in all ; 
but for this fortunate action the trial of the reformers in April 
