United States or Afghanistan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
We are told, in Mr. Shepstone's Report, that they "got very excited," and "asked whether it was thought that they had no feelings or hearts, that they were thus treated as a stick or piece of tobacco, which could be passed from hand to hand without question." Umgombarie, a Zoutpansberg Chief, said, "I am Umgombarie.
The following incident will show with what interest he was watching what took place. At the Vaal River a party of Boers met the Special Commissioner and fired salutes to welcome him. It was immediately reported to Cetywayo by his spies that the Boers had fired over Sir T. Shepstone's waggon.
Had Sir T. Shepstone's power been as great as represented, it is fair to suppose that it would have been exerted, and would have prevailed in support of his own administration; but it seems clear that he could do nothing; and as to the reality of the danger, nothing could better establish that than the unpleasant admissions in the foregoing extract and the initial disasters in the Zulu War a year later.
Kruger and Jorissen's mission to England Agitation against the annexation in the Cape Colony Sir T. Shepstone's tour Causes of the growth of discontent among the Boers Return of Messrs.
Anxiety of Lord Carnarvon Despatch of Sir T. Shepstone as Special Commissioner to the Transvaal Sir T. Shepstone, his great experience and ability His progress to Pretoria and reception there Feelings excited by the arrival of the mission The annexation not a foregone conclusion Charge brought against Sir T. Shepstone of having called up the Zulu army to sweep the Transvaal Its complete falsehood Cetywayo's message to Sir T. Shepstone Evidence on the matter summed up General desire of the natives for English rule Habitual disregard of their interests Assembly of the Volksraad Rejection of Lord Carnarvon's Confederation Bill and of President Burgers' new constitution President Burgers' speeches to the Raad His posthumous statement Communication to the Raad of Sir T. Shepstone's intention to annex the country Despatch of Commission to inquire into the alleged peace with Secocoeni Its fraudulent character discovered Progress of affairs in the Transvaal Paul Kruger and his party Restlessness of natives Arrangements for the annexation The annexation proclamation.
"Indeed we shall be lucky if all isn't up, or something like it, before the day is over. Shepstone's Proclamation annexing the Transvaal is going to be read presently." I whistled and asked, "How will our Boer friends take it? They don't look very pleased." "That's just what no one knows, Allan. Burgers the President is squared, they say.
Also, there never has been, and probably never will be, another white man so universally beloved and reverenced by the natives throughout the length and breadth of South Africa. But Sir T. Shepstone's influence for good will pass away, as all purely personal influence must, and meanwhile, what is the situation?
At length, after three months of inquiry and negotiation, the proclamation of annexation was on the 12th of April 1877 read by Mr. Osborn, accompanied by some other gentlemen of Sir T. Shepstone's staff. It was an anxious moment for all concerned.
Whilst the Annexation was thus well received in the country immediately interested, a lively agitation was commenced in the Western Province of the Cape Colony, a thousand miles away, with a view of inducing the Home Government to repudiate Sir T. Shepstone's act.
It is stated that, in the first place, there was no real danger, and in the next place, if there were, such was Sir Theophilus's power with the Zulus that he could have averted it; and in support of the first point, and in demolition of Sir T. Shepstone's pro-annexation arguments, the following extract from the latter's despatches is quoted by Aylward and others: EXTRACT FROM DESPATCH, DATED UTRECHT, TRANSVAAL, JANUARY 29, 1878.
Word Of The Day