South Africa and the Boer-British War, Volume I: Comprising a History of South Africa and its people, including the war of 1899 and 1900Halstead, Murat
History
South Africa and the Boer-British War, Volume I: Comprising a History of South Africa and its people, including the war of 1899 and 1900
Halstead, Murat
South African War, 1899-1902
This statement regarding the Boer slave policy represented the feeling
and knowledge of Englishmen generally along the borders, or when they
came into contact with the Dutch and the natives together. Of the
missionary sentiment in this connection the works of Livingstone and
Moffat and the more recent statements of the Rev. Dr. Stewart afford
abundant evidence. And this aside from the aggressive and sometimes
mistaken or exaggerated views of Dr. Philip and Cape Town missionary
leaders and semi-political preceptors in the earlier days of Kosa or
Kaffir warfare. All around the frontier of the two Republics commandos
would from time to time attack isolated tribes, with slight excuse and
sometimes none at all, burn their kraals, take their cattle and kidnap
their women and children. Dr. Livingstone has put it on record,[2]
after prolonged experience of both Boers and Blacks and with a personal
character for honesty and honor which no one will impeach, that "the
great objection many of the Boers had, and still have, to English law
is that it makes no distinction between black men and white."
Elsewhere in the same volume he declares that "it is difficult for a
person in a civilized country to conceive that any body of men
possessing the common attributes of humanity should with one accord set
out ... and proceed to shoot down in cold blood men and women, of a
different color it is true, but possessed of domestic feelings and
affections equal to their own.... It was long before I could give
credit to the tales of bloodshed told by native witnesses; but when I
found the Boers themselves, some bewailing and denouncing, others
glorying in the bloody scenes in which they had been themselves the
actors, I was compelled to admit the validity of the testimony."
[Sidenote: Early Scenes of Bloodshed] The great missionary proceeds, in
detail, to describe one of the Boer methods of fighting natives. "When
they reach the tribe to be attacked, friendly natives (previously
captured) are ranged in front to form as they say 'a shield;' the Boers
then coolly fire over their heads till the devoted people flee and
leave cattle, wives and children to the captors." He knew of this
being done nine times within his own personal experience, and upon no
occasion was any Boer blood shed. He also declares that the Boers
never intended to abide by the promise regarding slavery made in
1852-4, and describes how a slave raid amongst the Bechuanas was
organized and carried out by 400 Boers under Piet Scholz immediately
after that engagement was entered into. It was the same all along the
line until, in the latter sixties, England began to advance into the
interior and to definitely plant her feet upon regions which the Boer
deemed himself heir to and, almost, actual owner of. During these
years the Natal _Mercury_, the Cape _Argus_ and the Transvaal
_Argus_--a small but energetic sheet--drew continuous attention to this
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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