Origin of the Anglo-Boer War Revealed | Page 7

of the Transvaal contention proceeded from the project

of gaining over some strong foreign ally who would see an obstacle, if
not scruples, in joining common cause whilst England's claim of
over-lordship remained unshaken. But for that consideration the
Transvaal Government inwardly viewed the whole of the treaties as
waste paper, since it was not only intended to violate them all, but also
to bring about, at an opportune moment, a hostile severance from
England. In the meantime, the academic squabble was to serve as a
decoy to hide Transvaal identification with any such sinister objects,
and to divert attention and suspicion.

TRANSVAAL HISTORY--TREATMENT OF
UITLANDERS--FRANCHISE
To resume the cursory history of the Transvaal. Mr. Burger, during his
Presidency in the early seventies, went to Europe with the mission of
attracting capital to the development and exploitation of gold, etc., then
already authentically discovered; also, to provide for the building of a
railway connecting with Delagoa Bay. The Transvaal Boers were at
that time exceedingly poor, and without a sufficient revenue for
properly maintaining the administration. Beyond creating a lively
interest, his success was confined to an agreement with a company in
Holland for building a section of that railroad, which, however, fell
through, because the Transvaal proved ultimately unable to furnish its
quota of the necessary funds. The present President fared better. A
Dutch company styled "The Nederlandsch Zuid Afrikaansche
Spoorweg Maatschappy," abbreviated "Z.A.S.M.," undertook the work
and completed it in 1887, from the Portuguese border to Pretoria. The
line from Pretoria to the Natal border was soon after built, as also
several extensions around the Wit-waters Rand, and that from Pretoria
to Pietersburg. The section connecting Delagoa Bay as far as the
Transvaal border had previously been completed by McMurdo, and is
the subject of the present Berne arbitration.[2]
The contract conferred to the Dutch Company a monopoly, and most
advantageous financial terms as well. By that time great strides had
been made in the development of the Transvaal gold-fields, especially
at the Wit-waters Rand (Johannesburg); and immigration on a large
scale from all parts of the world had set in, and was constantly
increasing with vast amounts of investments in mercantile and other

enterprises, as well as in mining industries. At first, equitable laws
governed burghers and Uitlanders alike, administered by an
independent judiciary. All desirable security was afforded for person
and property, with confidence in the safety of investments, and great
general prosperity kept pace with ever-increasing activities and
enterprise.
It was a great satisfaction to Uitlanders that the peace of 1881, and the
reinstatement of Transvaal independence, had restored harmony
between Boer and English, and that a policy was being followed to
preclude friction between the respective Governments. Those facts
largely stimulated investments and enhanced confidence. By 1887 the
alien population had already exceeded 100,000, and the capital
investments £200,000,000 sterling, and the desire so ardently
entertained by the people of the land, for twenty years back, was
gratified at last. The burghers shared in the prosperity to a very large
degree, and in lieu of former poverty, competence and wealth became
the rule, and many of them became exceedingly rich. It was not unusual
to hear Boers expressing undisguised gratitude, not merely for the
natural gold deposits, but specially also that people had come to
prospect and to invest capital, without which the wealth of the land
would have remained unexploited and lain fallow. Harmony and
cordiality were the proper outcome between foreigners and Boers. The
influx of capital and of immigrants continued to increase, but not so the
happy conditions. These were gradually getting marred by a spirit of
variance, no one seemed to know how. The study of this paper will
reveal it. The variance between Boers and Uitlanders began to be
specially discernible from 1887 and had been increasing like a blight
ever since. This was noticeably coincident with the numerous arrivals
of educated Hollanders employed for the railways and the Government
administration.
In the earlier period of the Transvaal Republic, one year's residence
was first held sufficient for acquiring full franchise or burgher rights
and voting qualifications. The condition was successively raised to two,
three, and five years; but in 1890 laws were passed which required
fourteen years' probation, with conditions which virtually brought the
term to twenty-one years, and even then left the acquisition of full
franchise to the caprice of field-cornets and higher officials.

Englishmen and their descendants were at one time totally and for ever
excluded and disqualified just merely because of their nationality
whilst Hollanders were admitted in very large numbers without having
to pass any probation at all or only comparatively short terms. The
English language became a target for hostility and as good as
proscribed; impracticable and ludicrous attempts even were made to
exclude its use