The Transvaal.

Manawatu Herald, 16 January 1896, Page 3

The Transvaal.

The present condition of affairs in South Africa may be directly traced to Mr Gladstone's incompetence or insincerity in dealing with the Trans- i vaal question. The Zulus considered, with good reason, that they had been deeply wronged by the Boers, and for years Cetewayo, the great Zulu chief, was engaged in preparing an army which would be capable of wreaking their vengeance upon the Boers. | The British authorities considered i the Zulu army might if successful j attack Natal, and sent Shepstone to Pretoria to confer with President I Kruger. Kruger admitted to Shep- \ stone that the Boers were helpless to j resist the impending Zulu attack and that the people ignored all Government, and when Shapstone proposed that England should annex the Transvaal, Kruger accepted the proposal as the only alternative to annihilation by the Zulus. Oetewayo at this time had an army of 40,000 men, and the live 3of the people of Natal were at his mercy. Sir Bartle frere, the Go vernor called upon Cetewayo to disband his army. His refusal to do this, led to the invasion of Zululand by General Ohelmesford at the head of a small British force. Chelmesford allowed his camp to be attacked when in a defenceless state, and the massacre of Insandula was the result, and the gallant defence at Roork's Drift alone saved the men, women and children of Natal from the . attacks of Cetewayo's tmpis. Sir Garnet Wolseley was sent out to assume the command of the British troops, but before he reached the camp General Chelmesford succeeded in defeating the Zulus and capturing Cefcewayo. Sir Garnet!; )Volseley expressed England's intention in regard to the Transvaal in the following strong language that " British Sovereignty in the Transvaal would be maintained as long as the sun shone or the rivers flowed to the sea." Mr Gladstone was just then starting on his first Midlothian campaign. He endeavoured to show that all the acts of Lord Beaconsfield were to be condemned. He singled out the Transvaal Annexation and denounced it as a foul crime. The Boers, he described as a Christian, a noble and unoffending people. Mr Glad Btone's words were at once telegraphed to South Africa, and were read by the Boers. They were not slow to see their opportunity, and on Mr Gladstone's accession to power, expected to receive back their independence. Bnt Mr Gladstone, as a responsible Minister of the Crown, was not prepared to repeat his words uttered to his constituents ; and his Cabinet confirmed the annexation. This decision, when it became known to the Boers, led to disturbances in the Transvaal. The military authorities in Natal sent an, insufficient force to quell the disturbances and this force suffered a reverse. On news of this reaching England, Mr Gladstone declared to the House of Commons his intention to maintain the honour of the British flag, and at once troops were dispatched to South Africa. This displeased the Radicals at Home and Mr Gladstone's action was denounced and his Midlothian speech was quoted against him. After the dispatch of the troops, a disaster overtook the British under Sir George Colley at Majuba Hill, and Mr Gladstone seized upon this event as an opportunity for falling back upon his Midlothian position Tha British troops were recalled without allowing them the opportunity of wiping out the defeat at Majuba Hill, and the English in South Africa had to endure the unutterable humiliation of seeing the British flag trailed in the mud. Mr Gladstone disregarding Sir Garnet Wolseley's and his own declaration in the House of Commons entered into negociations with the Boers and gave them back their independence. The Boers did well out of the transaction, for during the period of annexation Great Britain paid off all the old standing debts of the Transvaal Government. It is not surprising that the young English blood in South Africa pant to have a " go " at the Boers.