THE TWENTY-FIRST WAR : IN THE TRANSVAAL. 4I 



colonists, but the Boers believed that the Mission of Sir Theophilus 

 Shepstone was a friendly one, and received it in a friendly manner ; 

 and this friendliness was taken as a proof that the Boers desired 

 annexation. 



Sir Theophilus Shepstone took with him a small escort of mounted 

 police ; but the Boers knew that the entire armed Power of England 

 was at his back, but they did not know that he held a Commission 

 in his pocket which was to be the deathblow to their Independence. 



Sir Theophilus Shepstone arrived in Praetoria in January, 1877, 

 and in April, in direct defiance of the wishes of the people, he issued a 

 proclamation, arbitrarily annexing a territory as large as France, con- 

 taining a population of 40,000 whites, and 250,000 blacks. 



When the news reached England, people did not understand it, 

 and very few stood up manfully for the Rights of the Boers ; but, on 

 the contrary, Tories and Liberals, with few noble exceptions, joined 

 hands in the annexation, and sang a chorus of joy over this wanton viola- 

 tion of popular rights. 



At this time Lord Carnarvon was busy over his scheme for a South 

 African Confederation, and he did not stop to enquire whether the 

 Transvaal Volksvraad sanctioned it. All he wished to know was, 

 that a large proportion of the Boers desired the establishment of Her 

 Majesty's Authority and English Rule. 



The President of the Boer Republic and the Volksvraad protested 

 against the deed, and a deputation, consisting of Messrs. Kruger, De 

 Toit and Smit, was sent to England to plead for justice for their coun- 

 try, and when I>ord Carnarvon told them that their people desired 

 annexation they were astounded and denied it. 



The deputation returned, and organised an agitation against. Eng- 

 land, and to counteract it. Sir Theoplilus Shepstone issued a procla- 

 mation to imprison, fine, and punish all opponents ; and when the 

 Deputies held a meeting at Pretoria, to plead for the restoration of 

 their independence, the representative of England directed Cannon 

 upon the Assembly and he called up troops to overawe them. 



In spite of this, however, the Memorials poured in, signed by 

 d^gi enfranchised men against, and only 2^7 enfranchised men for 

 the annexation. 



The charge against the Boers was that they had established slavery 

 on their territory ; and that they had practised cruelty towards the 

 natives ; but it was not true. 



From the date of the Annexation in April, 1877 till 1880, the 

 Boers contented themselves with peaceable protests and petitions, to 



