"THE BOER CONSPIRACY."
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") SIE,—I am sorry to trouble you again, but since writing my letter on "Boer Bitterness," in which I referred to Mr. Hobson's challenge in the Contemporary Review to prove a "Boer conspiracy," an extract from one of Mr. Kruger's speeches has been published here in the Eastern Province herald, which should set at rest any doubt as to the exist- ence of the "Pretoria plot." The speech was made at an election meeting in Heidelberg in 1898. A burgher of the name of Pistorins wished to know if it were necessary to have a Minister Plenipotentiary at a salary of 217,500 per annum, and if the money could not be used for a better purpose in lending to the Boer farmers to improve their farms and for irrigation works. This was Mr. Kruger's reply, in Dutch, of course. "You are a rich Boer ; why don't you do it P" continuing in Dutch which, translated, reads : "Have you confidence in Own Paul ? Yes, you have, otherwise I would not hold the position I now hold, that of President of this State, the highest position it is possible to hold, and in that capacity I have secrets which I cannot impart to my burghers, because if I do they are no longer secrets, but this I may tell you, that if we succeed in our e ,v.leavours we may become a great and mighty African nation." Coming as this does from the head of the State, it establishes the conspiracy beyond question. It cannot be too widely known, and shows at once how determined the Boer Executive was on war at the first convenient opportunity, and why it was impossible to come to terms with people playing such a double game. It should thus clear Mr. Chamberlain and Sir Alfred Milner of the atrocious charge of forcing war on England, brought by party politicians and haters of the Colonial Secretary. Truly they have allowed themselves to be led into a nice position,—to support a plot against their own country. Although they cannot be directly accused of firing on their countrymen, they have neverthe- less been largely responsible for loading the guns.—I am,
["Boer conspiracy" is not, in our opinion, a fair phrase, but we do not doubt that the Boer aspiration was to expel the British Imperial factor from South Africa and to secure ascendency for the Dutch race, and that this aspiration was furthered and fomented in every possible way by Mr. Kruger and his Government. Conspiracy, however, implies a moral wrong, and there was nothing per se immoral in the Boer aspiration. We have rightly withstood it in arms, but there is no reason to give it a wrong name.—En. Spectator.]
Previous page
