| CHAPTER I |
| CHAPTER II |
| CHAPTER III |
| CHAPTER IV |
| CHAPTER V |
| CHAPTER VI |
| CHAPTER VII |
| CHAPTER VIII |
APOLOGY FOR "YET ANOTHER BOOK" ON THE SOUTH AFRICANQUESTION. FUTURE PEACE MUST BE BASED ON JUSTICE,—TOCOLOURED AS WELL AS WHITE MEN. DIFFERENCEBETWEEN LEGALIZED SLAVERY AND THE SUBJECTION OFNATIVES BY INDIVIDUALS. THE TRANSVAAL IN 1877: ITSBANKRUPTCY: ITS ANNEXATION BY GREAT BRITAIN: ITSLIBERATION FROM GREAT BRITAIN IN 1881. CONVENTIONOF 1881 SIGNED AT PRETORIA. BRITISH COMMISSIONERS'AUDIENCE WITH 300 NATIVE CHIEFS. SPEECHES ANDSORROWFUL PROTESTS OF THE CHIEFS. ROYAL COMMISSIONAPPOINTED TO TAKE EVIDENCE. EVIDENCE OF NATIVES ANDOTHERS CONCERNING SLAVERY IN THE TRANSVAAL. APPEALOF THE CHRISTIAN KING KHAMA. LETTER OF M'PLAANK,NEPHEW OF CETEWAYO. PREVALENCE OF CONTEMPT FORTHE NATIVE RACES. SYMPATHY OF A NATIVE CHIEF WITHTHE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST.
In the midst of the manifold utterances and discussions onthe burning question of to-day,—the War in South Africa,—thereis one side of the subject which, it seems to me, hasnot as yet been considered with the seriousness which it deserves,—andthat is the question of Slavery, and of the treatment ofthe native races of South Africa. Though this question hasnot yet in England or on the Continent been cited as one of thedirect causes of the war, I am convinced,—as are many others,—thatit lies very near to the heart of the present trouble.
The object of this paper is simply to bring witnesses togetherwho will testify to the past and present condition of the nativeraces under British, Dutch, and Transvaal rule. These witnessesshall not be all of one nation; they shall come from differentcountries, and among them there shall be representatives of thenative peoples themselves. I shall add little of my own to thetestimony of these witnesses. But I will say, in advance, thatwhat I desire to make plain for some sincere persons who areperplexed, is this,—that where a Government has established byLaw the principle of the complete and final abolition of Slavery,and made its practice illegal for all time,—as our BritishGovernment has done,—there is hope for the native races;—thereis always hope that, by an appeal to the law and to Britishauthority, any and every wrong done to the natives, whichapproaches to or threatens the reintroduction of slavery, shall beredressed. The Abolition of Slavery, enacted by our Governmentin 1834, was the proclamation of a great principle, strongand clear, a straight line by which every enactment dealing withthe question, and every act of individuals, or groups of individuals,bearing on the liberty of the natives can be measured, and anydeviation from that straight line of principle can be exactlyestimated and judged.
When we speak of injustice done to the natives by theSouth African Republics, we are apt to be met with the reproachthat the English have