Origin of the Anglo-Boer War Revealed

Origin of the Anglo-Boer War Revealed

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Title: Origin of the Anglo-Boer War Revealed (2nd ed.) The Conspiracy of the 19th Century Unmasked
Author: C. H. Thomas
Release Date: February 18, 2005 [EBook #15106]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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ORIGIN OF THE ANGLO-BOER WAR REVEALED
The Conspiracy of the 19th Century Unmasked
By C.H. THOMAS
of Belfast Transvaal formerly Orange Free State Burgher
SECOND EDITION
LONDON: HODDER AND STOUGHTON
27 PATERNOSTER ROW MCM
_Butler & Tanner The Selwood Printing Works Frome and London_

NOTICE
The present book had been intended for publication in South Africa before the end of 1899, with the object of laying bare the wicked and delusive aims of the Afrikaner Bond combination, to which the Anglo-Boer war alone is attributable, and to counteract its disastrous influences so far as then still possible. But until quite lately circumstances had conspired so as to prevent the writer from leaving the Transvaal, and when he at last obtained the required passport to Louren?o Marques he was there denied a permit to visit a colonial port. He therefore sailed for London in order to publish this book without more loss of time. Though too late to serve as a deterrent, the contents may be effective towards showing up the really guilty parties--the instigators and seducers of the deluded Boer nation, and so pave and widen the avenue of peace and of conciliation between Boer and Briton who were duped and victimized alike.
The exposure of the actual culprits and originators should also operate favourably, and in mitigation in behalf of the much less guilty Boers, so as to dispose the victors to the exercise of magnanimous consideration. In exposing the villainy of the Dutch coterie in Holland, the writer is far from impugning the honourable character of that nation, the better part of whom, when once undeceived, will be the first to reprobate and disown those arch-plotters who sacrificed the peace of South Africa for personal and national advantage.
Some other information regarding the Boers and South Africa will be found interspersed in this study, which will be found of use to the uninitiated and to intending emigrants to that sub-continent. As the reader proceeds with the examination of this book it will suggest comparisons and even analogies which may commend themselves as singularly apposite and instructive in relation with the study of the presently budding Eastern question.
C.H. THOMAS
NOTE TO SECOND EDITION
The issue of a Second Edition has afforded an opportunity to correct a few linguistic blemishes, but the work has only been very slightly revised.

CONTENTS
PAGE NOTICE V
INTRODUCTION 1
CURSORY HISTORY OF THE BOER NATION 6
PROSPERITY OF BOERS AND POLITICAL RELATIONS WITH ENGLAND UP TO 1881 16
TRANSVAAL HISTORY--SUZERAINTY 21
TREATMENT OF UITLANDERS, FRANCHISE, VENALITY, BRIBERY 25
MONSTER PETITION, JAMESON INCURSION, ARMAMENTS 37
BLOEMFONTEIN CONFERENCE, BOER ULTIMATUM 43
BOER LANGUAGE 52
THE DUTCH COTERIE, ITS SEAT IN HOLLAND 57
AFRIKANER BOND--OUTLINES AND PROGRAMME 62
PACIFIC POLICY OF GREAT BRITAIN 70
PRESS PROPAGANDA--SECRET SERVICE--TRADE RIVALRIES 72
DISLOYALTY OF COLONIAL BOERS 82
PORTUGUESE TERRITORY--TRANSVAAL LOW VELDT--MALARIA--HORSE SICKNESS 89
CLIMATE AND TOPOGRAPHY 95
BOER PREPAREDNESS FOR WAR 108
ALLIANCE OF ORANGE FREE STATE WITH TRANSVAAL--SUZERAINTY SQUABBLE--TRANSVAAL ARMAMENTS PRIOR TO JAMESON RAID 115
THE TRANSVAAL DYNAMITE AND EXPLOSIVES MONOPOLY 122
BOER FIGHTING STRENGTH 124
BOER CONSERVATISM, EDUCATION, DUNDEE DOSSIER, ANTI-ENGLISH PAMPHLET ENTITLED "A HUNDRED YEARS' INJUSTICE" 126
AN OLD FREE STATER'S ADMONITION 137
MODUS VIVENDI SUGGESTED BY OLD FREE STATER 143
MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S POLICY TO AVERT WAR 150
AFRIKANER BOND GUILT IN GRADATIONS 155
R��SUM�� 161
BOERS' NATIVE POLICY 167
ENGLAND'S NATIVE AND COLONIAL POLICY 172
OCCULT OPERATIONS AND AGENCIES 178
RELIGION 184
PHYSIQUE AND HABITS 193
PRESIDENT KR��GER 207
PEACE ADJUSTMENTS 212

INTRODUCTION
Apart from the progress of the present Anglo-Boer war a world-wide interest has been excited also upon the question of its actual origin. Much disparity of opinion prevails yet as to how it was provoked and upon which side the guilt of it all lay.
English statesmen of noblest character and best discriminating gifts are seen professing opposite convictions; one party earnestly asserting the complete blamelessness of their Government, whilst the other, with equally sincere assurance, denounces the responsible Ministry for having provoked a most unjust war against a totally inoffensive people, whose only fault consisted in asserting its love of freedom, and for thus plunging the entire British nation into blackest guilt deserving universal reprobation, a blot and stigma upon Her Majesty's reign.
In following the course of the arguments which have led to those opposing verdicts, one is impressed with the paucity and the clashing character of the information adduced. The marked reticence on the part of