Impressions of South Africa

Impressions of South Africa, by
James Bryce

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Title: Impressions of South Africa
Author: James Bryce
Release Date: August 14, 2007 [EBook #22323]
Language: English
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IMPRESSIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA
BY

JAMES BRYCE
AUTHOR OF "THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE,"
"TRANSCAUCASIA AND ARARAT," "THE AMERICAN
COMMONWEALTH," ETC.
With Three Maps.
THIRD EDITION, REVISED THROUGHOUT
WITH A NEW PREFATORY CHAPTER, AND WITH THE
TRANSVAAL CONVENTIONS OF 1881 AND 1884
London MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited 1899
All rights reserved
RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND
BUNGAY.
First Edition, 8vo. November 1897
Reprinted, November 1897
Second Edition, January 1898
Third Edition, Crown 8vo. November 1899
Reprinted, December 1899

TO
THE COMPANION OF MY JOURNEY

PREFATORY CHAPTER

This new edition has been carefully revised throughout, and, as far as
possible, brought up to date by noting, in their proper places, the chief
events of importance that have occurred since the book first appeared.
In the historical chapters, however, and in those which deal with recent
politics, no changes have been made save such as were needed for the
correction of one or two slight errors of fact, and for the mention of
new facts, later in date than the first edition. I have left the statements
of my own views exactly as they were first written, even where I
thought that the form of a statement might be verbally improved, not
only because I still adhere to those views, but also because I desire it to
be clearly understood that they were formed and expressed before the
events of the last few months, and without any reference to the
controversies of the moment.
When the first edition of the book was published (at the end of 1897)
there was strong reason to believe as well as to hope that a race conflict
in South Africa would be avoided, and that the political problems it
presents, acute as they had become early in 1896, would be solved in a
peaceable way. To this belief and hope I gave expression in the
concluding chapter of the book, indicating "tact, coolness and patience,
above all, patience," as the qualities needed to attain that result which
all friends of the country must unite in desiring.
Now, however, (October 1899), Britain and her South African Colonies
and territories find themselves at war with the South African Republic
and the Orange Free State. A new chapter is opened in the history of
the country which completely alters the situation, and must necessarily
leave things very different from what it found them. Readers of this
new edition may reasonably expect to find in it some account of the
events which have within the last two years led up to this catastrophe,
or at any rate some estimate of that conduct of affairs by the three
governments concerned which has brought about a result all three
ought to have sought to avert.
There are, however, conclusive reasons against attempting to continue
down to the outbreak of the war (October 11th) the historical sketch
given in Chapters II to XII. The materials for the historian are still

scanty and imperfect, leaving him with data scarcely sufficient for
judging the intention and motives with which some things were done.
Round the acts and words of the representatives of the three
governments concerned, there rages such a storm of controversy, that
whoever places a particular construction upon those acts and words
must need support his construction by citations from documents and
arguments based on those citations. To do this would need a space
much larger than I can command. The most serious difficulty, however,
is that when events are close to us and excite strong feelings, men
distrust the impartiality of a historian even when he does his best to be
impartial. I shall not, therefore, attempt to write a history of the last two
fateful years, but content myself first, with calling the reader's attention
to a few salient facts that have occurred since 1896, and to some
aspects of the case which have been little considered in England; and
secondly, with describing as clearly and estimating as cautiously as I
can, the forces that have worked during those years with such swift and
deadly effect.
Some of these facts may be dismissed with a word or two,