s the art of cabling--with Mr. Chamberlain for
preference. The voice of the people is duly represented, but it is a
very weak and halfhearted voice. There is not that hearty ring in it
which is so marked when, for instance, a crowd of Englishmen greet
their Queen. President Kruger represents the Transvaal burghers, and
the requisitions which are published previous to the Presidential
election are sufficient and convincing proof that he is a popular and
highly respected man. These requisitions usually refer in a general
way to the numerous difficulties through which Oom Paul has so ably
piloted the country. According to such requisitions innumerable
difficulties have assailed the poor country on all sides, and the
general tone throughout would imply that they were insidious and
uncalled for. The country had done nothing; the people had gone about
their business innocently, and attended church regularly, and no
thoughts of intrigue or anything resembling it had existed in their
bosoms. Their desire was to govern the country honestly and with a
view only to its prosperity, adopting precautions at the same time
which would exclude the participation of foreigners--Englishmen, for
example. They didn't believe in the English element; it was too
dangerous. The President all the while tried to make out that he liked
the English; but he didn't. Of course, a great Power like the
Transvaal must keep up appearances. The German Emperor, for instance,
doesn't say straight out that the English are a bad lot, and therefore
Oom Paul must not display official ignorance by doing that which the
German Emperor does not do. A man may not exactly be born a King, or a
President, but he can learn a lot of useful little formalities by
watching the other Kings and Presidents. It will be observed,
therefore, that the Transvaal has all along been very docile and
consequently very badly used. And because it has displayed the best
and noblest qualities and on all occasions endeavoured to obviate
friction with other people, it has been unjustly assailed and trampled
upon.

Oom Paul is a very good man, but he kicks at the traces a great deal.
He likes to go out of his way to find out what other people are saying
about him, and he displays, moreover, another undesirable
characteristic--he is suspicious. It is in the family; it is in the
whole people. He is continually working himself up into the condition
of a man whose highly-strung nerves convince him