THE KAFFIRS IN THE TRANSVAAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 10035, 23 January 1896, Page 4

THE KAFFIRS IN THE TRANSVAAL.

Within the last few days a npw element lias been introduced into the Transvaal cmbroglio by the declaration of the Government of the South African Republic that documents obtained in the Orange Free State prove that a plot for a native rising was being organised in 1894 by the Chartered Company, with the fullest aid of the native pastors of the African and Anglican Churches. The documents referred to had been previously stated to contain details of the negotiations, and indicated, it was said, that Dr. Jameson had a secret cypher for a plot, which included a nativo rising. It is evident from the tone of the cable messages since General Joubert defeated Dr. Jameson's expedition, that the anger of the Transvaal authorities is directed chiefly at the .British South African Chartered Company. It was stated that Kruger had demanded cancellation of the charter, and there is no doubt that the investigations the Boers are making will be chiefly directed to an attempt to discredit the company. This is quite natural action on the part of President Kruger. Since Great Britain gave up the Transvaal to the Boers, after having broken the power of the nativo owners, it has acted with the most punctilious loyalty towards them. The convention with them was modified so as to meet their wishes, at a time when there was no motive to make any change except goodwill and a desire to be on friendly terms with the Transvaal Government. But the Boers find that the Company is not so easily dealt with. The Company is an active, enterprising body, and is doing more than the British Government could do in the work which the Boers most dread, and that is, the extension of English settlement in South Africa. The Boers have had a fear of being enclosed with English settlements, and that seems to be their fate from the activity of the Company. They have been opposed to railways, but these are being pushed forward to their borders, and will soon be extended beyond them. The recont campaign with Lobongula has given the Company the complete control of Mashonaland and Matabeleland, thus barring any extension of the Transvaal. The Boers have every object to serve in getting the charter of the company revoked, and to that object they will doubtless devote all their energies. They would unquestionably turn against the company a, vast body of public sympathy in South Africa if they could prove that it had been sought to engage any of the Kaffir tribes in an insurrection against Europeans. That would be an unpardonable offence. There is no doubt, however, that notwithstanding the many contests which the British have had with the Zulus, they are better liked than the Dutch, who are exceedingly harsh in their dealings with the natives. There are a large number of natives employed in the mines at the Transvaal, and it is said that they would not engage in that work at all for Dutch masters. But it is also said that the Uitlanders., although disgusted at the infamous way in which they are 'created by the Transvaal Government, are not by any means anxious to como under British rule. The English Government insists upon the observance of a number of regulations , in reference to the employment of native labour, which are felt to be harassing, and irksome. The statement is put forward, it will bfj observed, that the native rising was to be made " with the fullest aid ot the native pastors of the African and Anglican' Churches." ! It must be i kept in ■ mind that the-; Boers are a , deeply religious people, 1 , resembling in spirit- the Covenanters of Scotland and

the soldiers of Cromwell. Their « and intolerant bigotry is shown WI? law in the Transvaal, that no man exercise political power there unleJi 11 has been for a certain time a tw # of, a Protestant Church. Probably f object of Kruger's allegation is to »rn 9 the religious feeling of the Boers Ta to make them think that not only'tl • national existence, but their Church in danger. We hope that the Briti.i Government, in its anxiety to avoid | appearance of hostility towards t| Transvaal Government will not be i' 8 duced to terminate the existence of m"' Chartered Company. That orgnj. le tion lias already been of immon! service to the British Empire, and L secured for Great Britain the whole of unoccupied South Africa up to th! Zambesi. A large portion of th country is fertile in soil, temperate in climate, and in every way suitable 0 , settlement.