testation. It was on
one of these visits to Krugersdorp, a township within the
Witwatersrand Fields, twenty miles from Johannesburg, that the
President, appreciating the fact that besides his beloved burghers
there might, owing to the proximity of the fields, be some
unregenerate aliens present, commenced his address as follows:
'Burghers, friends, thieves, murderers, newcomers, and others.' This
was not ill-judged and laborious humour; it was said in absolute
earnest. The references were repeated at various intervals in the
address and here explained by allusions to the Scriptures and to the
all-merciful God through Whom even the worst might hope to be
redeemed, the inference clearly being that even the Uitlander, by the
grace of God (and, no doubt, Mr. Kruger), might hope in time to
approach the fitness of the burgher.

In the meantime another affair occurred, which revived much of the
old feeling expressed at the time of the flag affair. War was
declared against Malaboch, a native chief with a following of a few
hundreds, who had, it was alleged, refused to pay his taxes. Such
wars are of frequent occurrence in the Transvaal, the reasons
assigned being usually some failure to pay taxes or to submit to the
discipline of the native Commissioners. In this case British subjects
were commandeered--that is, requisitioned to fight or to find in
money or in kind some contribution to the carrying on of the war. It
was felt that the position of the Republic did not warrant at that
time a resort to commandeering, a measure which no doubt was
necessary in the early days when the Republic had no cash; but with a
declared surplus of about L1,000,000 in the Treasury, it was deemed
to be an uncivilized and wholly unnecessary measure, and one capable
of the grossest abuse, to permit men of inferior intelligence and
training, and of no education, such as the Field-cornets are, to
use their discretion in levying contributions upon individuals. The
Uitlanders were especially sensible of the injustice done to them.
They had been definitely refused all voice in the affairs of the
State, and they already contributed nine-tenths of the revenue. They
received in return an infinitesimal portion in the shape of civil
administration and public works, and they were distinctly not in
the humour to be placed at the mercy of Boer officials, who would
undoubtedly mulct them and spare the burghers. Protests were made;
and five of the men commandeer