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Impressions of South Africa By: James Bryce Bryce (1838-1922) |
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BY JAMES BRYCE AUTHOR OF "THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE," "TRANSCAUCASIA AND ARARAT,"
"THE AMERICAN COMMONWEALTH," ETC.
With Three Maps.
THIRD EDITION, REVISED THROUGHOUT WITH A NEW PREFATORY CHAPTER, AND WITH THE
TRANSVAAL CONVENTIONS OF 1881 AND 1884
London
MACMILLAN AND CO., Limited
1899 All rights reserved
RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED,
LONDON AND BUNGAY. First Edition, 8vo. November 1897 Reprinted, November 1897 Second Edition, January 1898 Third Edition, Crown 8vo. November 1899 Reprinted, December 1899
TO THE COMPANION OF MY JOURNEY
PREFATORY CHAPTER
This new edition has been carefully revised throughout, and, as far as
possible, brought up to date by noting, in their proper places, the
chief events of importance that have occurred since the book first
appeared. In the historical chapters, however, and in those which deal
with recent politics, no changes have been made save such as were needed
for the correction of one or two slight errors of fact, and for the
mention of new facts, later in date than the first edition. I have left
the statements of my own views exactly as they were first written, even
where I thought that the form of a statement might be verbally improved,
not only because I still adhere to those views, but also because I
desire it to be clearly understood that they were formed and expressed
before the events of the last few months, and without any reference to
the controversies of the moment. When the first edition of the book was published (at the end of 1897)
there was strong reason to believe as well as to hope that a race
conflict in South Africa would be avoided, and that the political
problems it presents, acute as they had become early in 1896, would be
solved in a peaceable way. To this belief and hope I gave expression in
the concluding chapter of the book, indicating "tact, coolness and
patience, above all, patience," as the qualities needed to attain that
result which all friends of the country must unite in desiring. Now, however, (October 1899), Britain and her South African Colonies and
territories find themselves at war with the South African Republic and
the Orange Free State. A new chapter is opened in the history of the
country which completely alters the situation, and must necessarily
leave things very different from what it found them. Readers of this new
edition may reasonably expect to find in it some account of the events
which have within the last two years led up to this catastrophe, or at
any rate some estimate of that conduct of affairs by the three
governments concerned which has brought about a result all three ought
to have sought to avert. There are, however, conclusive reasons against attempting to continue
down to the outbreak of the war (October 11th) the historical sketch
given in Chapters II to XII. The materials for the historian are still
scanty and imperfect, leaving him with data scarcely sufficient for
judging the intention and motives with which some things were done.
Round the acts and words of the representatives of the three governments
concerned, there rages such a storm of controversy, that whoever places
a particular construction upon those acts and words must need support
his construction by citations from documents and arguments based on
those citations. To do this would need a space much larger than I can
command. The most serious difficulty, however, is that when events are
close to us and excite strong feelings, men distrust the impartiality of
a historian even when he does his best to be impartial. I shall not,
therefore, attempt to write a history of the last two fateful years, but
content myself first, with calling the reader's attention to a few
salient facts that have occurred since 1896, and to some aspects of the
case which have been little considered in England; and secondly, with
describing as clearly and estimating as cautiously as I can, the forces
that have worked during those years with such swift and deadly effect... Continue reading book >>
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History |
Politics |
Travel |
War stories |
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