THE ACTIVITY OF CHILDREN

spain. holland had been forced into an alliance with france, and in exactly the same way, in and England seized the cape. In the
bought it from the prince of orange. Kuyper does not deny that the price was paid, but remarks that it did not replenish the
coffers of the prince. Be that as it may, the treaty is none the less valid, and the petition of rights begins by protesting gainst
the action of the king of Holland who, in had ceded cape colony to england in exchange for Belgium. The english valued the newly
acquired colony only as a naval station; they did not endeavour to extend the territory they occupied. Professor Bryce clearly
shows in his impressions of south Africa that if england had enlarged her possessions it had been in despite of herself, and
solely to ensure their safety; although, from the treatise great Britain and the dutch republics, published in the times, and
reproduced in sicle it is evident that she had always considered that her rights in south africa extended to the frontier of the
portuguese possessions; that is to say, to the of latitude, in which latitude delagoa bay is situated. Kuyper begins by himself
putting us some what on our guard concerning his feelings towards england; for, not only does he decline to forgive her the
occupation of cape colony, but also her triumph over Holland in the eighteenth century. Nowhere had resentment against
perfide albion penetrated national feeling more deeply than in the Netherlands. Between the dutch and english characters there
is absolute incompatibility. As a rule, i attach little faith to such generalities; in this case, i am sure, rightly. Forgetting his
dictum of absolute incompatibility kuyper, at shows that, as far as he is concerned, it is only relative; for in speaking of
england, he goes on to say: were I not a Dutchman, i should prefer to be one of her sons. Her habitual veracity is above suspicion;
the sense of duty and justice is innate in her. Her constitutional institutions are universally imitated. No where else do we find
the sense of self respect more largely developed. Kuyper further admits that the incompatibility is relative as for as
a frikanders are concerned, it is only absolute as applied to the boers. After giving usthis example of the consistency of his
views, kuyper speaks of the english as being unobservant. A reproach somewhat unexpected, when directed against the
countrymen of darwin. As a proof, he presents us with this metaphor, equally unexpected from the pen of a Dutchman a dweller
of the plains: because, in winter, the english had only seen in these insignificant river beds a harmless thread of frozen water,
they took no thought of the formidable torrent which the thawing of the snow, in spring, would send rushing down to inundate
their banks. The torrent is of course the war now going on. Lord Roberts seems to be successfully coping with the inundation.
The crime. Kuyper approves of the petition of rights of it sets forth that the south African dutch do not recognize the cession
made by the king of holland in it does not admit that he had the right to sell them like a flock of sheep. There have been boers in
rebellion since one of these was a man named bezuidenhout. In resisting a sheriff who tried to arrest him, he was shot. His
friends summoned to their aid a kaffir chief, named gaika. The english authorities condemned five of the insurgents to be
hanged. The rope broke. They were hanged over again. Kuyper, and the petition of rights found their indictment of the british
upon this event which they denominate the crime. The scene of the execution was named slachtersnek, hill of slaughter. This
act of repression was violent, but it possibly have been indispensable. At any rate, it bears but a very far off relation to the
events of to day. Kuyper in resuscitating, and laying stress upon it, follows a method well known in rhetoric; he begins by
discrediting his adversary. However, despite his good intentions, he has not increased our admiration for the boers by pointing
out to us that the most serious grievances they can allege against the english are the protection accorded by the latter to the
natives and slaves, and the final emancipation of the latter. British sphere of influence in in a few lines kuyper draws a
conventional picture of british policy with regard to the boers, making it out to be ever greedy of power. The contrary is the
truth. A vacillating and timid policy has been englands great mistake in south africa; it is this very vacillation that has brought
about the present war. Kuyper bitterly reproaches the english for having in six years after the great trek, claimed those
emigrants as british subjects. The great trek was similar to the emigration of the mormons. The united states have never
admitted that they were at liberty to found a separate state within the limits of the national possessions. If on the same
ground alone english had proclaimed their suzerainty over the boers who were endeavouring to form states in natal, the
orange free state, and the Transvaal, they would have been perfectly within their rights; but kuyper forgets that as for back
as england promulgated the cape of hope punishment act. The object of that act was to repress crimes committed by whites
under english dominion throughout the whole of south africa, as far north as the south latitude; that is, as far as the
portuguese frontier; and it is so thoroughly imbued with that idea, that it specially excepts any portuguese territory south of
that latitude. It is thus proved that with the exception of the portions occupied by the portuguese, england claimed, as
comprised within her sphere of influence, the whole of the remaining south aftican territory. A certain number of boers,
irreconcilably opposed to british rule, so fully recognized this, that they trekked as far as delagoea bay. Another object of the
act was the protection of the natives against the boers. The constantly recurring and sanguinary conflicts between the boers
and the Zulus led england to extend her direct sovereign rights to natal for the peace, protection and good government of all

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