uence at work during its
sitting, had found the chief conspirator, Mr. Rhodes, guilty, and
had reported him as such to Parliament, Mr. Chamberlain, who was
one of the members of the Commission, contradicted his own
report[99] by defending Mr. Rhodes.

Your Excellency will have to acknowledge that the South African
Republic as well as the civilized world was perfectly justified in
coming to the conclusion that the Jameson expedition, which we
first believed to have been undertaken by irresponsible persons,
and without the cognizance of His Majesty's Government, was well
known, if not to all, yet still to some members of His Majesty's
Government. I need not remind your Excellency that since that time,
not only has no reasonable indemnity been paid to the South African
Republic, as was at that time promised, but also that the Republic
has been harassed with despatches and threats concerning its
internal Government. I also need not tell your Excellency that
outside influence was used in order that memorials to His Majesty's
Government might be drawn up concerning alleged grievances, so that
His Majesty's Government might have the desired opportunity of
interfering with the inner policy of the South African Republic.

As I have said, I do not think it necessary to remind your
Excellency of the above-mentioned facts, because I am of opinion
that they are well known to you. I, however, should like your
Excellency to be good enough to pay attention to the following
facts:--

When, at the time of the circulation of the last-mentioned
Memorial, I could see that a certain party was working hard to
involve the British Government in a war with the South African
Republic, I stepped into the breach, and endeavoured, by bringing
the parties together, and by using my influence with the South
African Republic, to induce the latter to give in to the demands of
His Majesty's Government in order to maintain the peace.

I succeeded in getting the Transvaal to yield, not because I was of
the opinion that the English Government had any right to make such
demands, but only in order to prevent bloodshed. When the British
Government was still not satisfied, then the South African
Government made concession after concession to the ever-increasing
demands made up