ercest enemies of England, a country which
represents industrial civilisation in so high a degree, that she stands
alone, in all Europe, in refusing to adopt compulsory military service.
Such lovers of peace range themselves on the side of professional
fighters against peaceable citizens. They are for the Boer spoliator
against the despoiled Uitlanders. They take their stand against the
English who in 1881 and 1884 voluntarily restored autonomy to the
Transvaal, and in favor of the Boer, who in the Petition of Rights,
1881, took for programme, as in the pamphlet recently published by Dr.
Reitz, "Africa for the Afrikanders from the Zambesi to Simon's Bay."

The British Government, far from desiring fresh conquests, is drawn on
by its colonists. France colonises by sending an army, to be followed by
officials; then the government, the press, and committees of all sorts,
beg and pray refractory home lovers to go forth and settle in the
conquered territory. Englishmen go out to Australia, Borneo,
Johannesburg; and the British Government has to follow them. It is not
English trade which follows the flag, it is the flag which follows the
trade. The present crisis was not brought about by the zeal of British
statesmen, but by their weakness in 1881 and 1884; and by the habit
which they have allowed the Government of Pretoria of violating
conventions with impunity. To such a degree were these violations
carried on with regard to the Uitlanders (chiefly English) who, relying
on the guarantee of the Transvaal Government, had settled and invested
millions of capital in the country, that, dreading for their lives after
the murder of Edgar, they presented the petition of March 28th, 1899, to
the British Government. No government in the world, approached in such a
manner, could have refused to move; and where European governments have
gone wrong is that, instead of supporting the action of Great Britain,
they let President Krueger believe that they would intervene against her,
to the prejudice even of their own countrymen.

It may be mentioned that British Uitlanders only appealed to their own
government, after having, conjointly with Uitlanders of other
nationalities, addressed various petitions, since 1894, to the Pretoria
Government which petitions were received with contempt, President Krueger
replying: "Protest! protest as much as you like! I have arms, and you
have none!"

[Footnote 24: _Le Siecle_, April 14th, 1900.]

2.