Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VI BOER APOLOGISTS Transvaal independence guaranteed—Imperial policy—As propounded by Mr. Chamberlain—And Sir Alfred Milner—No conspiracy against the Republics—Factious spirits and petty spite—Boer apologists—Mr. Stead—Mr. Bryce—The Transvaal and the Drifts Question—Transvaal armaments before the Raid—The Free State and treaty obligations—Steyn's duplicity—' The Transvaal never responsible'—Britain always made to appear the aggressor—The South African News—Its 'refutation' of the conspiracy 'theory'—The Bond's halfhearted repudiation—And its most recent policy—The Dutch Church and the conspiracy—The Moderamen's manifesto— Truth must prevail—A prophecy. In one chapter of a small volume like this it would be impossible in detail to deal comprehensively with all the various pros and cons put forward by Imperialists or Boer apologists with reference to the conspiracy ' theory,' and other allied questions, so it will be my endeavour to confine myself to the statements of some of the most eminent of those who espouse the Boer cause in England, as well as in South Africa, particularly where their remarks have reference to the ' aims of Afrikanderdom,' and the desire of the so-called Afrikander party to undermine and destroy British supremacyjn South Africa. But before commenting upon the denials by Boer apologists of the existence of any conspiracy on thepart of the Afrikander National party in South Africa against the paramount Power for the benefit of those who, like Presidents Kruger and Steyn, on the other hand, allege that there existed a desire on the part of the British Government to dominate the Dutch population, or to destroy the independence of the Republics, it may not be out of place to recall to mind the words of the chief exponents of the Imperial policy...