First Annexation by Great Britain

FIRST ANNEXATION BY GREAT BRITAIN It was in conditions such as these that the British secretary of State for the colonies, the 4th earl of Carnarvon, launched his scheme for the confederation of the various South African States and colonies. The story is told elsewhere (see SOUTH AFRICA, UNION OF). In the Transvaal the agent selected to carry out Lord Carnarvon's policy was Sir Theophilus Shepstone (q.v.), the chief of the native affairs department in Natal, a man with a profound knowledge of the mind of the negroes of South East Africa, and also with a considerable knowledge of Boer mentality. He was in London in 1876. and was then given a dormant commission dated Oct. 5, 1876, instructing him to visit the Transvaal and empowering him, if it was desired by the inhabitants and in his judgment necessary, to annex the country to the British Crown. Sir Theophilus went to Pretoria in Jan. 1877, with an escort of 25 mounted police, and entered into conferences with the presi dent and executive as to the state of the country. Federation plans were being considered in Cape Colony and Natal and in the Free State; there was also a party in the Transvaal in favour of union. One of the chief difficulties was the different conception of native policy held in the various colonies and States; and the treatment of the natives in the Transvaal caused grave concern to its neighbours. The impetus for federation, however, came from without, and the volksraad, after having Carnarvon's proposals put before it, rejected them.

When the volksraad realized that Shepstone was about to take a decisive step it hurriedly passed a number of reforms, but this kind of insincere death-bed repentance was useless. On April 12, 1877, Shepstone issued a proclamation annexing the South African Republic to the British Crown. There were protests, some purely formal, others expressing indignation truly felt, but there was no active opposition and a considerable number of the town-dwellers welcomed annexation.

Shepstone had given assurances that it was the wish of the Brit ish Government that the Transvaal "shall enjoy the fullest legisla tive privileges compatible with the circumstances of the country and the intelligence of its people." But he did little to sub stitute anything better for the Government he had found in office, a Government he had characterized as "a thorough sham." Never theless he had done something by the abolition of obnoxious taxes while public credit was restored (in the last days of Burgers the Transvaal Li notes were worth only is.). Moreover the contin uance of the apprentice system—not of the traffic in apprentices— with Shepstone's approval and aid, did not, at least, alienate Boer opinion. The true hindrance to acceptance by the Boers of British rule was the failure to redeem the pledge to grant the Transvaal "the fullest legislative privileges." Shepstone at the outset had

wanted to summon the volksraad (May 1877), but here he met with opposition from the high commissioner, Sir Bartle Frere, who had himself ideas as to what the new constitution should be and wished to consult leading burghers on the matter.

The Agitation for Retrocession.

That the British annex ation at first caused no grave discontent may be inferred by the retention of office by all the members of Burgers' executive coun cil except Piet Joubert, "the irreconcilable." The rest, including Paul Kruger and Dr. E. J. P. Jorissen (a Hollander brought out by Burgers) kept their posts and drew their salaries as British officials. In accordance with a last resolution of the volksraad, Kruger, who was accompanied half-heartedly by Jorissen, was given leave to go to London, where he was told by Carnarvon that the act of annexation was irrevocable, but was promised conces sion in the matter of local government, including the use of Dutch. Kruger and Jorissen in turn promised to endeavour to "promote a feeling of satisfaction"; showed some anxiety to continue in government employment and after a visit to the Continent re turned home. This was in Jan. 1878, and they found that in the Transvaal the phase of acquiescence in annexation was rapidly passing, for reasons already indicated. Another deputation to London was decided upon, Kruger on this occasion being accom panied by Piet Joubert. Before Kruger left Pretoria Shepstone dis missed him from office, holding that it was not the place of an official to be endeavouring to overthrow the Government in whose service he was. This deputation spent some months in England (July-Oct. 1878) but failed to get satisfaction. Carnarvon's fed eration scheme was moribund and he himself had been succeeded at the Colonial Office by Sir Michael Hicks Beach. Sir Michael told the deputation indeed (despatch of Sept. 16, 1878) that the cabinet intended to grant the Transvaal "to the utmost practical extent its individuality and powers of self-government," but not independence. On their way back to the Transvaal Kruger and Joubert met the high commissioner in Natal. Frere endorsed Hicks Beach's promise of self-government for the Transvaal, and the Boer leaders (both competent men on the question) gave Frere sound advice in regard to the war with the Zulus then im pending. That war began in Jan. 1879 and soon there came the disaster of Isandhlwana. Discontent with British rule in the Transvaal was by this time marked; advocates of extreme Dutch Afrikanderdom went so far as to consider it meritorious of the Transvaal burghers to refrain from helping the Zulus against the British.