out the illegal behests of the president were deprived of their offices,
and the few editors of newspapers representing the Uitlanders--as all
men not born in the state were called-were imprisoned and their journals
suppressed.

Intolerable as was such a state of things to a civilized community, it
might have been borne with some patience had it not been that the
insolence of their masters was unbounded. Every Boer seemed to take a
pleasure in neglecting no opportunity of showing his contempt for the
men whose enterprise and labour had enormously enriched the country, and
whose superior intelligence he was too grossly ignorant to appreciate. A
Boar farmer would refuse a cup of water to a passing traveller, and
would enforce his refusal by producing his rifle immediately if the
stranger ventured to urge his request. Of late the insolence of the
Boers had greatly increased; the manner in which England had, instead of
demanding justice with the sternness and determination that the
circumstances called for, permitted her remonstrances to be simply
ignored, was put down as a consciousness of weakness. And having now
collected arms sufficient not only for themselves but for the whole
Dutch population of South Africa, the Boers were convinced that their
hour of triumph had come, and that in a very short time their flag would
float over every public building throughout the country and the Union
Jack disappear for ever.

The long discussions that had been going on with regard to a five or
seven years' franchise were regarded with absolute indifference by the
Uitlanders--even the shorter time would have afforded them no advantage
whatever. The members from the mining districts would be in a hopeless
minority in the assembly; and indeed, very few of those entitled to a
vote would have cared to claim it, inasmuch as they would thereby render