Cetywayo and his White Neighbours | Page 2

their followers should adopt
the tone they do with reference to the Colonies. After all, there is an
odd shuffling of the cards going on now in England; and great as she is,
her future looks by no means sunny. Events in these latter days develop
themselves very quickly; and though the idea may, at the present
moment, seem absurd, surely it is possible that, what between the rapid
spread of Radical ideas, the enmity of Ireland, the importation of
foreign produce, and the competition of foreign trade, to say nothing of
all the unforeseen accidents and risks of the future, the Englishmen of,
say, two generations hence, may not find their country in her present
proud position. Perhaps, and stranger things have happened in the
history of the world, she may by that time be under the protection of
those very Colonies for which their forefathers had such small
affection.
The position of South Africa with reference to the Mother Country is
somewhat different to that of her sister Colonies, in that she is regarded,
not so much with apathy tinged with dislike, as with downright disgust.
This feeling has its foundation in the many troubles and expenses in
which this country has been recently involved, through local
complications in the Cape, Zululand, and the Transvaal: and indeed is
little to be wondered at. But, whilst a large portion of the press has
united with a powerful party of politicians in directing a continuous
stream of abuse on to the heads of the white inhabitants of South Africa,
whom they do not scruple to accuse of having created the recent
disturbances in order to reap a money profit from them: it does not
appear to have struck anybody that the real root of this crop of troubles
might, after all, be growing nearer home. The truth of the matter is, that
native and other problems in South Africa have, till quite lately, been
left to take their chance, and solve themselves as best they might;
except when they have, in a casual manner, been made the /corpus vile/
of some political experiment. It was during this long period of inaction,
when each difficulty--such as the native question in Natal--was staved
off to be dealt with by the next Government, that the seed was sown of
which we are at present reaping the fruit. In addition to this, matters

have recently been complicated by the elevation of South African
affairs to the dignity of an English party question. Thus, the Transvaal
Annexation was made use of as a war-cry in the last general election, a
Boer rebellion was thereby encouraged, which resulted in a complete
reversal of our previous policy.
Now, if there is any country dependent on England that requires the
application to the conduct of its affairs of a firm, considered, and
consistent policy, that country is South Africa. Boers and Natives are
quite incapable of realising the political necessities of any of our parties,
or of understanding why their true interests should be sacrificed in
order to minister to those necessities. It is our wavering and uncertain
policy, as applied to peoples, who look upon every hesitating step as a
sign of fear and failing dominion, that, in conjunction with previous
postponement and neglect, has really caused our troubles in South
Africa. For so long as the affairs of that country are influenced by
amateurs and sentimentalists, who have no real interest in it, and whose
knowledge of its circumstances and conditions of life is gleaned from a
few blue-books, superficially got up to enable the reader to indite
theoretical articles to the "Nineteenth Century," or deliver inaccurate
speeches in the House of Commons--for so long will those troubles
continue.
If I may venture to make a suggestion, the affairs of South Africa
should be controlled by a Board or Council, like that which formerly
governed India, composed of moderate members of both parties, with
an admixture of men possessing practical knowledge of the country. I
do not know if any such arrangement would be possible under our
constitution, but the present system of government, by which the
control of savage races fluctuates in obedience of every variation of
English party politics, is most mischievous in its results.
The public, however, is somewhat tired of South Africa, and the reader
may, perhaps, wonder why he should be troubled with more literature
on the subject. I can assure him that these pages are not written in order
to give me an opportunity of airing my individual experiences or ideas.
Their object is shortly--(1.) To give a true history of the events
attendant on the Annexation of the Transvaal, which act has so
frequently been assigned to the most unworthy motives, and has never
yet been fairly described by any