THE WRONGS OF THE CAFFRE NATION.
'THE greater part of this publication consists of a narrative of the outrages inflicted upon the aborigines of Southern Africa, from the settlement of the Dutch down to the conclusion of the last Caffre war ; in which, according to the official despatch of Sir Sir B. DTRHAN. the Governor of the Cape, the "enemy" lost " 4,000 warriors," whilst, " besides the conquest or alienation of their country, about 60,000 head of cattle were taken from them, and almost all their goats, their habitations were eierywhere de- stroyed, and their gardens and corn-fields laid waste ; " our loss, in the perpetration of these enormities, "fortunately only amount- ing to 100 men."
The sources whence the author has drawn his materials for this additional chapter in the dark history of the treatment of bar- barous nations by the colonists of a civilized people, are the state- ments of travellers, the reports of Parliamentary Committees, and other official documents, with occasionally, in the latest times, the foolish admissions of some of the actors, made in after-dinner speeches, or " letters to the editor," which, if not very full of facts, are pregnant with what lawyers call the animus. The selection and arrangement of the materials do not display a very snikieg degree of judgment, nor are they put together with much skill ; events and anecdotes being jumbled, and the comments of the author being unnecessarily introduced into his narrative. Still, however, the book has a matter-of-fact reality about it, and quite enough is made out to show that the conduct of the boors and frontier colonists towards the Caffies has been quite as ferecious as that of the Americans towards the Red In- dians, with less excuse on the part of the perpetrators, and deeper disgrace against the English Government. With less excuse, be- cause the Caffres are a less formidable, a less vindictive, and a more placable race, and from slim, with proper management, redress could always have been obtained for cattle-stealing—the alleged origin of most of the forays. With more nation-al dis- grace, because our Government had greater power to prevent or to punish outrage than the American Executive, whose control over the various States is practically nothing: and because, whilst many of the American outrages were those of individuals, or des- peradoes whose crimes had banished them from civilized society, the African atrocities were formally undertaken and conducted by a military or colonial officer of some kind or other, who repre- sented the power of the state.
If, however, the volume itself exhibits a want of generalization, and a lack of art in the effective disposition of its materials, the compiler has done something towards supplying these Oelleiencies by publishing, in an appendix, Lord GLENELG'S despatches to the Governor, on the late Caffre 1Var. These two documents, though slightly vitiated by official diffuseness, reflect credit on the ability and just views of their writer us a Colonial Minister. They contain, or rather the first contains, a clear statement of the origin of the war, and of the conduct systematically pursued towards the wretched aborigines, which almost rises to the com- prehensive dignity of history. The writer then proceeds, in a strain of guarded severity, to comment on the colonial disposition and practices; which, no doubt, at the Cape will he abused ascent, but which appears to us just in itself and creditable to the feelings of Lord GLENS LO. He also announces a series of measures in pre- paration to effset a total change in the government of the frontier; the basis of which is—to establish Tribunes of the Aborigines in the character of native Protectors; to enter into treaties with the chief- tains, and to make them responsible for any injuries inflicted upon the colonists from their districts; to render crimes against the person or property of Caffres as amenable to the law as if they were com- mitted against "Isis Majesty's subjects ;" and to enable the Co- lonial tribunals to take cognizance of offences perpetrated by Bri- tish subjects beyond the border. What is quite as rare as this prospective justice towards the natives, is a retrospective act. De- nying the justice of the war, the Colonial Minister rejects the pro- fits, and orders, as a matter of right and policy, the whole of the ceded district to be restored; no doubt to the horror of those gen- tlemen in whose favour the Governor was about to issue grants of land, or establish places, as soon as the cession of the territory should be confirmed.
It is not necessary to quote from documents of this kind; but baying given the substance of Sir B. IYUREAN's Jo triumphe on his valorous exploits, we will take Lord GLENKLG'S comment.
" I am bound to record the very deep regret with which I have perused this passage. In a conflict between regular troops and hordes of barbarous men, it IS almost a matter of course that there should exist an enormous disproportion between the loss of life on either side. But to consign an eutire country to desolation, and a whole people to famine,. is an aggravation of the necessary horrors of war, so repugnant to every just feeling and de totally at variance with the habits of civilized nations, that I should not be justified in receiving such a statement without calling upon you for further explanations. The honour of the British name is deeply interested in obtaining and giving publi- city to the proofs that the safety of the King's subjects really demanded so fearful an exelcise of the irresistible power of his Majesty's forces."
We know not what results have followed from these remarks, but the man who could stand this alai keep his place would stand any thing. He may indeed consider "seven thousand a year a sort of balm ; " but what a person to intrust with the go. vernment of a peop;e I
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