South Africa -- Description and travel; South Africa -- History -- 1836-1909; South Africa -- History -- To 1836
There may be those who think that a Kafir Parliament and a Kafir
Governor would be very good for a Kafir country. I own that I am not one
of them. I look to the civilization of these people, and think that I
see it now being effected by the creation of those wants the desire for
supplying which has since the creation of the world been the one
undeviating path towards material and intellectual progress. I see them
habituating their shoulders to the yoke of daily labour,--as we have all
habituated ours in Europe, and I do not doubt the happiness of the
result. Nor do I care at present to go into the question of a far
distant future. I will not say but that in coming ages a Kafir may make
as good a Prime Minister as Lord Beaconsfield. But he cannot do so
now,--nor in this age,--nor for many ages to come. It will be sufficient
for us if we can make up our minds that at least for the next hundred
years we shall not choose to be ruled by him. But if so, seeing how
greatly preponderating is his number, how are we to deal with him when
he shall have come to understand the meaning of his electoral
privileges, but shall not yet have reached that intellectual equality
with the white man which the more ardent of his friends anticipate for
him? Such are the perils and such the political quagmire among which the
Southern States of the Union are now floundering. In arranging for the
future government of South Africa, whether with, or without, a
Confederation, we should I think be on the alert to guard against
similar perils and a similar quagmire there.
I have now spoken of the Queen’s subjects in the Cape Colony. Then come
on my list as given above the inhabitants of native districts which are
subject to the Cape Colony, either by conquest or by annexation in
accordance with their own wishes. These are so various and scattered
that I can hardly hope to interest my reader in the tribes individually.
The Basutos are probably the most prominent. They are governed by
British magistrates, pay direct and indirect taxes,--are a quiet orderly
people, not given to fighting since the days of their great King
Moshesh, and are about 127,000 in number. Then there are the Damaras and
Namaquas of the Western coast, people allied to the Hottentots, races of
whom no great notice is taken because their land has not yet been good
enough to tempt colonists. But a small proportion of these people as yet
live within electoral districts and therefore at present they have no
votes for members of Parliament. But were any scheme of Confederation
carried out their position would have to be assimilated to that of the
other natives.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account