to the just demands of England whilst he had no real intention of yielding, suggesting that he should use any trick in order to gain time in the hope that something might happen to prevent us from asserting our reasonable claims, and saying that we should shortly "be howling about something else in another part of the world," and that the Cabinet were determined not to have war, and that the Liberal Party pledged against hostilities.

was

our

It may well be that advice such as this, coming from an English M.P., led Kruger to believe that he might safely resist claims, and induced him to undertake a war in which so many valuable lives have been sacrificed. Observe, too, the terms of insolent disrespect in which Mr. Labouchere speaks of our countrymen howling" about the earth.

ELECTORS.

Neither the Liberal Party nor its Leaders have disavowed these Members nor condemned their con

duct! It is for you to speak! On the Opposition benches sit a score or two of Pro-Boer Members who have shown a constant anxiety to prove their country wrong, whose action has given encouragement to the Transvaal, and who have voted with Clark, Ellis, and Labouchere !

Let us clear the English Parliament of Members who befriend England's enemies, insult Englishmen, and who are not willing to uphold the rights and liberties of England's sons.

Printed and Published by McCorquodale & Co. Ltd., "The Armoury," London, S.E.

THE DISCOVERED LETTERS.

The Government and Mr. Chamberlain fully

justified by strong and independent evidence.

ELECTORS.

Secret Letters have been found written, amongst others, by the following persons:

Sir J. H. DE VILLIERS- Chief Justice of Cape Colony, and a firm

Mr. M. DE VILLIERS

Mr. MERRIMAN

Mr. TE WATER

Mr. LABOUCHERE -
Mr. MONTAGU WHITE

friend of the Boers.

Brother of the above; Chief Justice of
Orange Free State.

Treasurer, Cape Colony; under Mr. Schreiner
A Boer: Colonial Secretary in Mr. Schreiner's
Government.

An English M.P.

Agent to the Transvaal in London.

WHAT DO THESE LETTERS TELL US?

The Government have all along feared that Kruger was obstinate,

and never really meant to grant the reforms under which wasons in the

Transvaal would get the ordinary rights of citizens. In October last Mr. Chamberlain said in the House of Commons:-"I believe from first to last that President Kruger never intended to give anything approaching equal rights to the White Races in South Africa."

Sir J. H. DE VILLIERS, writing to Mr. FISCHER, Secretary to the (late) Orange Free State, says:

"I have always been a well-wisher to the Republic, and if bhad any influence with the President I would advise him no longer to sit on the boiler to prevent it from bursting."

Again:

"How stubborn the Transvaal Government is." Again:

"I did not visit the President (Kruger) as I considered it hopeless to think of making any impression on him."

Mr. MERRIMAN, writing to PRESIDENT STEYN, says:

"Lippert represents Kruger as others describe him-as more dogged and bigoted than ever, and surrounded by a crew of self-seekers, who prevent him from seeing straight. He is so inflated as to have the crazy belief that he (Kruger) is born to bring about peace between Germany and France!"

Again, Sir J. H. DE VILLIERS, writing to Mr. FISCHER, says :

"I could understand a War in defence of the South African Republic after it has made reasonable concessions to the demands of the new-comers, and after it has displayed the same desire to secure good government as is seen in the Orange Free State; but of such a desire I have not seen the faintest trace.”

It has been alleged that the War was caused by unwise and provoking language in Mr. Chamberlain's speeches and despatches. Sir J. H. DĚ VILLIERS, writing to his brother, says :

"I see that Mr. Chamberlain again holds out an OLIVE BRANCH by proposing a joint enquiry into the Franchise Bill."

Again, writing to Mr. FISCHER, he says:

"Mr. Chamberlain's speech was more moderate than I expected."

The Government and Mr. Chamberlain have declared that the Reforms be accepted. Sir J. H. DE VILLIERS, writing to PRESIDENT STEYN, and could not

offered by Kruger, were shadowy, insufficient, and deceptive the Reforms

says:

"The Franchise Proposal made by the President (Kruger) seems to be simply ridiculous."

Again :

"Let the Transvaal Legislature give the new population a liberal Franchise, and allow them Local Self Government for their Towns."

Again, writing to Mr. FISCHER, he says:-

"Then there is the Franchise Bill, which is so obscure that the State Attorney had to issue an explanatory memorandum to remove the obscurities."

Again, Mr. MERRIMAN, writing to Mr. FISCHER, says:

"Try and persuade President Kruger to confer a benefit on the whole of South Africa by granting a broad measure of reform."

Again, Sir J. H. DE VILLIERS, writing to Mr. FISCHER, says:— "The very best friends of the Transvaal feel that the Bill providing for the Seven Years' Franchise is not a fair or workable measure."

1

"Throughout the negotiations the Transvaal Government have always been wriggling to prevent a clear and precise decision."

Again, Mr. TE WATER, writing to PRESIDENT STEYN, says :→→: "It is honestly now the time to yield a little, however one may, later, AGAIN TIGHTEN THE ROPE."

The Government and Mr. Chamberlain have been of opinion that the Transvaal Republic was a Republic in name only, that its administration was corrupt, and that its condition was rotten. Sir J. H. DE VILLIERS, writing to his brother, says :

“I am quite certain that if in 1881 it had been known to my fellow Commissioners that the President (Kruger) would adopt his retrogressive policy, neither President Brand nor I would ever have induced them to consent to sign the Convention. They would have advised the Secretary of State to re-commence War." Again, Mr. MERRIMAN, writing to PRESIDENT STEYN, says: "One cannot conceal the fact that the greatest danger to the future lies in the attitude of President Kruger and his vain hope of building up a state on the foundation of a narrow, unenlightened minority, and his obstinate rejection of all prospect of using the materials which lie ready to his hand to establish a true Republic on a broad liberal basis. The report of recent discussions in the Volksraad on his finances and their mismanagement, fill one with apprehension. Such a state of affairs cannot last, it must break down from inherent rottenness.”

Again :

t

"In England it is a Parliamenta and in Switzerland the same in the Transvaal it is a narrow oligarchy." bir qur bill

Again:

jbnos

"The deplorable confusion and maladministration of his financial arrangements still continue, and are a standing menace to the peace of South Africa."

Again, Mr. MERRIMAN, writing to Mr. FISCHER, says :— ****"His (Kruger's) Boers, the backbone of the country,

are vering off the land; hundreds have become

impoverished loafers, landless hangers-on of the town population. In his own interests he should RECRUIT HIS REPUBLIC WITH NEW BLOOD. I say this irrespective of agitation about Uitlanders. The fabric will go to pieces of its own accord unless someown accord thing is done. Upon this point every one who wishes well to the Republican cause is agreed."

The Government have supported the claims of the people of British origin living and working in the Transvaal, and have declared those claims to be just, and proper to be granted. Sir J. H. DE VILLIERS, writing to his brother, says:

"I begged of Kruger's friends to put the matter to him this way Adopt the English Five Years,

Franchise-offer it voluntarily to the Uitlander'smake them your friends-be a far-sighted Statesman, and you will have a majority of the Uitlanders with you when they become Burghers.”

Again, writing to Mr. FISCHER, he says:—

"There is at bottom, good ground for the irritation against its (the Transvaal's) Government."

Again, writing to his brother, he says:

"I urged upon them (Reitz, Smuts and others) to advise the President (Kruger) to open the Volksraad with promises of a liberal franchise and drastic reforms."

The Government and Mr. Chamberlain believed that Kruger was playing fast and loose in the negotiations, and was trying to gain time in the hope that something might happen which would prevent him from having to yield. The letters disclose the fact that he was ENCOURAGED TO DO THIS BY A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Writing to Mr. REITZ, Mr. MONTAGU WHITE says that Mr. LABOUCHERE told him:---

"You are such past masters in the art of gaining time, here is an opportunity you ought to spin out the negotiations for quite two or three months." Again, Mr. LABOUCHERE, writing to Mr. MONTAGU WHITE

says:

"The great thing is to gain time. In a few months we (the English people) shall be howling about something in another part of the world. If the President agrees to the Committee, it will, under clever tactics, take months to settle conditions, and then it will take further months to come to a decision."

We thus have a powerful defence of the opinion and policy of the Government, and of the Colonial Secretary, out of the mouths of close friends of the Boers!

REMEMBER!

The Letters, from which quotations are here given, were very private letters passing between relatives and close friends, and were never meant to be made public. They without doubt express the real opinions of the writers. They prove that our Country is in the right.

nted and Published by M CORQUODALE & Co. Limited, "The Armoury," London, 8.K.