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39373 •okeno 291 He had also enjoyed a long conversation withAr_acsage Grey — a splendid_olil 1._j_Lai-L•whozmembered Sir Ajoksalayerawell:_. (C: While.I sat talking to him, he suddenly said, 'As you sit there I am reminded of the way in which at discussing the affairs f Sout -Flea with your-father, away down in the Karoo; and now you, us-siin, are talking to me here. Yanqather and I adhered to what we then thought and acted consistently afterwards on those lines.' As you know perhaps he has always expressed to ine his condemnation of the whole plan by which administrative powers were given to the Chartered Company, long before this trouble took place. His forebodings were correct; and what a con- firmation of Mrs. Olive Schreiner's pamphlet have been these events of the New Year!!! Percy had seen the importance of Hofmeyr's breach with Rhodes. His letter about it and his reasons for it, -he wrote, had bzen a serious blow to those who were attempting to free Rhodes from complicity. He thought James and Charlie should try to get Schreiner to IAo:k with them and with Hofmeyr. Don't spare Sprigg. It is amusing to see him and his lot sticking on when Rhodes, their leader, is kicked out. The attempt you spoke of to embroil the Transvaal with England is evidently being made, and I am not -very sure of Chamberlain. Our Government here is very mad in going into this Egyptian businss. It is impossible to say whither it will lead them or Us. He was eager to have all the political news and views his brothers could send him, as he could make good use of them. Telegrams in The Times from the Cape were reporting that the Afrikander Bond was backing Kruger in an effort to get rid of the British connection. This he felt sure was untrue; but South African shares had fallen heavily, and would not improve wl 11.11110111's continued. Meantime Percy, after makingth>cithfications required by the Jameson R. , had completed his first book; and in a i ie eceived co ies from the tale page ran as follows: gergV A FEDERAL SOUTH AFRICA IP cr (r A comparison of the critical period of American history with the present position of the 0-ft-Q-11- Colonies and the States of South Africa, and. a consideration of the advantages Do Ktsa of a Federal Union By PERCY ALPORT MOLTENO, LL.I3. of the Inner Temple, Barrister-at-Law, ,and Advocate of the Supreme Court of the Cape of Good Hope. The book was by permission dedicated `To that noble Englishman, Sir George Grey, who first endeavoured to combine the scattered populations of South Africa'. 39373 Molten() 202 2873w In an interesting preface the author described his work as an 'attempt to give definition' to the vague ideas Of Union which were in the air. The success of America's federal constitution should give them confidence, he thought, to proceed to a similar remedy for the growing dangers in South Africa. The difficulties in his opinion were not so much racial as political — in proof of which he cited the fact that the two independent Dutch Re- publics, the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, had never succeeded in uniting together. The book starts with a survey of British Government in South Africa and of the similar problems which beset America after the War of Independence. Then follow chapters on the advantages which union would confer upon South Africa and of the form of federation which would be most appropriate, a form which would main- tain the independence of the individual States in matters of local concern. For federal machinery and federal courts the prece- dents of the United States and Canada are cited. There should be no titles of nobility, and no obstacles to internal free trade. Leading authorities on the proved advantages of federal government are freely quoted, and the plan- ning of a constitution which would secure peace for the whole of South Africa is put forward as a noble and inspiring ideal. His book brought interestin c essirrsTon_den:Lefrom leading politicians iome and in South Africa. On April zoth, 189 , James Bryce wrote from his house in Portland Place that a rapid glance had already enabled in to sec what a comprehensive view of your subject you have taken, and in how fair and large a spirit you have treated questions which are apt to be dealt with in a partizan and prejudiced way. I have just published in the American Foruman article on the constitutions of the two Dutch Republics: it does not, however, include the international ques- tions you refer to. I shall hope for an early opportunity of talking with you again over these matters. The Jameson Raid and its sequelx dominated South African politics for the rest of the year. On May 3 ist, 1896, J. G. Kotze theh Chief Justice of the Transvaal, " wrote from Pretoria: I have to thank you for your memo., embracing the result of your interview with Mr. Chamberlain. I have mentioned this privatelyto our Government. Your book has also come to hand. I have read it with much interest, and trust that it will tend to a better and more correct view of the South African problem being taken by the outside world. The mail is just in, and has brought us Sir William Harcourt's last and great speech on the situation. It is a masterpiece, and will, I hope, help to save the honour of the English nation. Cham- berlain's reply was lengthy, cute and unconvincing. To say, as he did, that men likeRhodes have made the history anciclomimioa_oolithe_Empar-e7-1-s-a-pelit-c-way_of saTiiig-t-t in the o inion of Mr. Chamberlain the British Empire has een gained15rfimird-drid-rfEEri- ery. The good start, which we weTela to expect that •39373 Molteno 203 Chamberlain was making, has ended in disappoint- ment, and (as he himselfobserved) South Africais the grave of reputations. Kotze held that the first friendly movement ought to come from Chamberlain, and suggested that he should send Sir Hercules Robinson back to South Africa with- out delay so that he and SiLlic.14r-y_dc—Vitliers_couldgo to Pretoria and treat amicably with the Republic. A later_from de Villiers Snllo -wciiike_ j2t1,14... 184-6, tli.ar your ldndly congratulations on my appointment as Privy Councillor and also for the book' which he had read with much interest. 'You are more sarigur lw_w_r_o_Le,_!as-tcahe.prospect tWILLarri; but I presume that the book was written beforeJameson's foolishand wickedraid darkened those prospects.' Asto the actual situation and the right policy De Villiers' viewsaccorded with Molteno's: At present there is much ill-feelingin the Transvaal and the Orange Free State against this colony. If both Houses of the Ca e Parli ent had united frrain- demnmg not only the t.aid bu also t rose who are res onsi e f e Rat'd—iRTp1-1511cs would have been satistiecL Unfortunately Schreiner's long-winded- reiolutions are regarded as a condonation rather than a condemnation of the Chartered Company. I am glad that you are doing all you can to urge modera- tion, patience, and forbearance. In the following,month Percy heard from his friend John Robinson, a member of the LegislativeCouncil of Natal, who wrote from Pietermaritzburg of the 'special interest' with which he bad rcad Federal South Africa and his hearty sympathy with Percy's contention 'that ' ()D-?,Ar/27 So_uthAfrica_slaQuieLbeleft ree to control and sha e r own internal destin by her own han s and through her , own representatives,' thoug s e cou not for a long j. time dispense with the protection of the British Navy.u.-- t"..) orevvi Vo\-- As for the recent crisis the more we regard Jameson's Raid, the more in- excusable, wanton and wicked does it seem to be. It has directly borne fruit in the bloodyoutbreak in Mata- beleland and Mashonaland and in a feelingof unrest in the native mind all over South Africa, which causes constant anxiety and apprehension. You have earned our thanks for having put forward so timely and moderate an exposition of historical facts and phases that are too much forgotten. When we travelled home together how little did we realize what the course of history was going to be! Family and businessaffairs occupied most of Percy's gettAri- attention during the remainder of the year 1896. In ..,1/4.6„cL reply to a letter from his farmer brother ace Tie- wrote a ong, affcc ionat fix)re_ CI 6 He was going. to order seeds fromHolknd_fo along with his owr7.--HvaTlooking after some of Wallace'sgold shares and was •oing to sell them as soon as the mar et ecame etter; or is not a kind or investment which you, with limited means, ought to hold'. Wallace, he thought, was farming with too small a stock to make it pay, and Percy cffered to advance him L5oo. He added: • 39373 Molteno 204 3067w I note all you say about the strong feelings roused by the Raid, and I deplore them very much. All wise and discreet men will do their best to calm them and put an end to them, so as to restore the mutual good feeling and confidence as they existed before. I am very_&_cl. to learn that you get on well with all your neighbours...---- You must make great allowances for the conditions of isolation and solitude in which many of those about you have had to live for generations.