Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/233

 1899.] Lord Methuen s Successes. [225

equality of rights — nothing more, nothing less — to the Dutch and the English throughout South Africa.

Mr. Bryce, who spoke in the same week at Aberdeen, showed an anxiety to begin betimes the education of public opinion as to the terms of peace after a complete triumph over the Boers which, strong critic as he continued to be of the negotiations before the war, illustrated the imperial temper in which he would pursue it. He spoke with reserve as to the future settlement of the Boer Republics, but urged that, especially with a view to the appeasement of Dutch bitterness in the Cape Colony, they should be treated considerately. Let them prosecute the war, Mr. Bryce said, with all possible energy, that their victory might be speedy and complete ; but let them indulge no feelings of vengeance. Let them require the representatives of the Crown in the colony to approve themselves strictly impar- tial between Englishmen and Dutchmen, and let them proceed to the settlement of South Africa in a liberal and generous spirit, granting terms of peace as favourable as the supreme necessity of placing things on a stable basis would admit.

During the last few days of November the war news seemed to encourage the hope that the tide of events was very soon about to be reversed in England's favour. In three successive actions, at Belmont, Graspan, and Modder River, the column operating under Lord Methuen in the direction of Kimberley not only displayed endurance and courage of the very highest quality, under the most trying conditions conceivable, but carried " one position after another, and pushed the Boers steadily back, until, on November 27, the general was established in a position within flashlight communication by night with Col. Kekewich at Kimberley. During the same period the admirable garrison of that place had made two dashing sorties, in which, though suffering considerable loss, they did a substantial amount of harm, both to the personnel and the stores of the investing Boer force. Altogether, though the Boers who had retired before Lord Methuen were never routed, there seemed good ground for hope that co-operation between the advancing and the beleaguered British would soon result in the relief of Kimberley. In Natal also the attempts of bodies detached from General Joubert's army investing Ladysmith to interfere with the pro- gress of the troops advancing for its relief had been completely discomfited; they had all. retired on the line of the Tugela, and Sir R. Buller had got a large force at Frere within a few miles of Colenso on that river. On that side also, therefore, it seemed reasonable to hope that the Boers would soon be taken between two fires, while in the Cape Colony a fair prospect seemed to exist that co-operation between General Gatacre and General French would before long sweep back the insolent invaders of British territory and prepare the way for a decisive advance upon Bloemfontein.

It was while British hopes were thus rising that there occurred

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