Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/164

 156] ENGLISH HISTORY. [jtjly

change in the law of 1890 was avowedly made to prevent the Outlanders from being admitted in such numbers to burghership as would swamp the Dutch burghers. Sir Alfred Milner himself has recognised that you cannot have a system of perfect equality with the burghers. Now, what has occurred since the negotiations at Bloemfontein ? One concession after another has been made, and some of them substantial and important. Mr. Kruger has agreed to remove some of the objectionable provisions as to naturalisation, and he has agreed that seven years shall be the term of qualification. The effect of that is to admit all the Outlanders who were resident in the Transvaal in 1890. I think I may conclude that there are decided indications on the part of the Transvaal Government that they have been willing to add to the number of Outlander representatives in the Raad. This I regard as a most important concession, and as giving reasonable hope that we may arrive at a satisfactory settlement. I understand that what her Majesty's Government is aiming at is that such a number of Outlanders should be admitted to the franchise as shall give them some real and sensible part in the government of the country. But you cannot form a correct view of the concessions that have been made until you have information as to the number of Outlanders who would be admitted to the franchise at once. ... I entirely associate myself with the declaration of Sir EL Campbell-Bannerman that nothing has occurred to justify war. . . . There is a party which seems to think that a threat of war is really necessary in this case, but the proper course is that, so well described by Sir Alfred Milner, of firm but friendly pressure. I am willing to believe that this is the course her Majesty's Government is pursuing. Be firm by all means, but make it clear that you are in earnest."

There was much anxiety to discover in Lord Salisbury's reply some hint as to the existence of two conflicting policies in the Cabinet. His words were closely scanned with this view, but he effectually baffled the intentions of his critics. The Prime Minister said he had opposed the policy of the Govern- ment in 1881, for attempts to obtain the gratitude of persons are very seldom successful if those persons are at the same time of opinion that you are afraid. The policy of friendliness was one to which President Kruger assented in the protocol of 1881, and it was that view which he was bound during the rest of his political career to promote. But his one effort had been to separate the English and the Republican Governments ; to draw the two nations into two camps ; to give to the Dutch a superiority to which their numbers gave them no title ; and to reduce the English to the position almost of a conquered, and certainly of a subjugated, race. He did not entirely blame the President and his colleagues for the kind of panic which seemed to have seized on them at the irruption of the gold-diggers in 1886, but what he did blame was that, when this difficulty