it was perfectly marvellous that he did not break down. Instead, as
very few men could have done, he kept a clear-headed shrewdness, owing to
which the Empire most certainly contracted an immense debt of gratitude
toward him for not having allowed himself to yield to the temptation of
retaliating upon those who had made his task such a particularly hard one.
His forbearance ought never to be lost sight of in judging the
circumstances which brought about and attended the South African War.
Whilst the war was going on it was not realised that Sir Alfred Milner was
the only man who--when the time arrived--could allay the passions arising
from the conflict. But, without vanity, he knew, and could well afford to
wait for his reward until history rather than men had judged him.

In the meanwhile Sir Alfred had to struggle against a sea of obstacles in
which he was probably the only man clever enough not to drown himself--a
danger which overtook others who had tried to plunge into the complicated
politics of South Africa. A succession of administrators at Government
House in Cape Town ended their political career there, and left, broken in
spirit, damaged in reputation.

As for the local politicians, they were mostly honest mediocrities or
adventurous spirits, who used their influence for their personal
advantage. An exception was Mr. Hofmeyr. But he was far too absorbed in
securing the recognition of Dutch supremacy at the Cape to be able to work
on the milder plane necessary to bring about the one great result. The
popularity of Mr. Hofmeyr was immense and his influence indisputable; but
it was not a broad influence. He shuddered at the mere possibility of the
Transvaal falling into the hands of the British.

Whilst touching upon the subject of the Transvaal, I may say a word
concerning the strangely mixed population, for the sake of whom,
officially, Britain went to war. The war was entirely the work of the
Uitlanders, as they called themselves with a certain pride, but very few
of whom possessed a drop of English blood. The British public at home was
told that it was necessary to fight President Kruger because Englishmen in
the Transvaal were being ill-treated and denied their legitimate rights.
In reality, this was one of those conventional reasons, lacking common
sense and veracity, upon which nations are so often fed. If we enter
closely into the details of existence in the Transvaal, and examine who
were those who sho