ULTIMATUM OF SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC, OCTOBER 9, 1899.
The Government of the South African Republic feels itself compelled to
refer the Government of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and
Ireland once more to the Convention of London, 1884, concluded between
this Republic and the United Kingdom and which in its XIVth Article
secures certain specified rights to the white population of this
Republic, namely, that "All persons, other than natives, conforming
themselves to the laws of the South African Republic (_a_) will have
full liberty, with their families, to enter, travel, or reside in any
part of the South African Republic; (_b_) they will be entitled to hire
or possess houses, manufactories, warehouses, shops, and premises; (_c_)
they may carry on their commerce either in person or by any agents whom
they may think fit to employ; (_d_) they will not be subject, in respect
of their persons or property, or in respect of their commerce or
industry, to any taxes, whether general or local, other than those which
are or may be imposed upon citizens of the said Republic." This
Government wishes further to observe that the above are only rights
which Her Majesty's Government have reserved in the above Convention
with regard to the Uitlander population of this Republic and that the
violation only of those rights could give that Government a right to
diplomatic representations or intervention while, moreover, the
regulation of all other questions affecting the position or the rights
of the Uitlander population under the above-mentioned Convention is
handed over to the Government and the representatives of the people of
the South African Republic. Amongst the questions the regulation of
which falls exclusively within the competence of the Government and of
the Volksraad, are included those of the franchise and representation
of the people in this Republic, and although thus the exclusive right of
this Government and of the Volksraad for the regulation of that
franchise and representation is indisputable, yet this Government has
found occasion to discuss in a friendly fashion the franchise and the
representation of the people with Her Majesty's Government, without,
however, recognizing any rights thereto on the part of Her Majesty's
Government. This Government has also, by the formulation of the now
existing Franchise Law and the Resolution with regard to representation,
constantly held these friendly discussions before its eyes. On the part
of Her Majesty's Government, however, the friendly nature of these
discussions has assumed a more and more threatening tone, and the minds
of the people in this Republic and in the whole of South Africa have
been excited and a condition of extreme tension has been created, while
Her Majesty's Government could no longer agree to the legislation
respecting franchise and the Resolution respecting representation in
this Republic, and finally, by your note of 25th September, 1899, broke
off all friendly correspondence on the subject, and intimated that they
must now proceed to formulate their own proposals for a final
settlement, and this Government can only see in the above intimation
from Her Majesty's Government a new violation of the Convention of
London, 1884, which does not reserve to Her Majesty's Government the
right to a unilateral settlement of a question which is exclusively a
domestic one for this Government and has already been regulated by it.
On account of the strained situation and the consequent serious loss in
and interruption of trade in general which the correspondence respecting
the franchise and representation in this Republic carried in its train,
Her Majesty's Government have recently pressed for an early settlement
and finally pressed, by your intervention, for an answer within
forty-eight hours (subsequently somewhat modified) to your note of the
12th September, replied to by the note of this Government of the 15th
September, and your note of the 25th September, 1899, and thereafter
further friendly negotiations broke off and this Government received the
intimation that the proposal for a final settlement would shortly be
made, but although this promise was once more repeated no proposal has
up to now reached this Government. Even while friendly correspondence
was still going on an increase of troops on a large scale was introduced
by Her Majesty's Government, and stationed in the neighborhood of the
borders of this Republic. Having regard to occurrences in the history of
this Republic which it is unnecessary here to call to mind, this
Government felt obliged to regard this military force in the
neighborhood of its borders as a threat against the independence of the
South African Republic, since it was aware of no circumstances which
could justify the presence of such military force in South Africa and in
the neighborhood of its borders. In answer to an inquiry with respect
thereto, addressed to His Excellency the High Commissioner, this
Government received, to its great astonishment, in answer, a veiled
insinuation that from the side of the Republic (_van Republikeinsche
zyde_) an attack was being made on Her Majesty's Colonies and at the
same time a mysterious reference to possibilities whereby it was
strengthened in its suspicion that the independence of this Republic was
being threatened. As a defensive measure it was therefore obliged to
send a portion of the burghers of this Republic in order to offer the
requisite resistance to similar possibilities. Her Majesty's unlawful
intervention in the internal affairs of this Republic in conflict with
the Convention of London, 1884, caused by the extraordinary
strengthening of troops in the neighborhood of the borders of this
Republic, has thus caused an intolerable condition of things to arise
whereto this Government feels itself obliged, in the interest not only
of this Republic but also of all South Africa, to make an end as soon as
possible, and feels itself called upon and obliged to press earnestly
and with emphasis for an immediate termination of this state of things
and to request Her Majesty's Government to give it the assurance
(_a_) That all points of mutual difference shall be regulated by the
friendly course of arbitration or by whatever amicable way may be agreed
upon by this Government with Her Majesty's Government.
(_b_) That the troops on the borders of this Republic shall be instantly
withdrawn.
(_c_) That all reinforcements of troops which have arrived in South
Africa since the 1st June, 1899, shall be removed from South Africa
within a reasonable time, to be agreed upon with this Government, and
with a mutual assurance and guarantee on the part of this Government
that no attack upon or hostilities against any portion of the
possessions of the British Government shall be made by the Republic
during further negotiations within a period of time to be subsequently
agreed upon between the Governments, and this Government will, on
compliance therewith, be prepared to withdraw the armed burghers of this
Republic from the borders.
(_d_) That Her Majesty's troops which are now on the high seas shall not
be landed in any port of South Africa.
This Government must press for an immediate and affirmative answer to
these four questions, and earnestly requests Her Majesty's Government to
return such an answer before or upon Wednesday the 11th October, 1899,
not later than 5 o'clock p.m., and it desires further to add that in the
event of unexpectedly no satisfactory answer being received by it within
that interval it will with great regret be compelled to regard the
action of Her Majesty's Government as a formal declaration of war, and
will not hold itself responsible for the consequences thereof, and that
in the event of any further movements of troops taking place within the
above-mentioned time in the nearer directions of our borders this
Government will be compelled to regard that also as a formal declaration
of war.
REPLY OF GREAT BRITAIN.
_October 10, 1899._
Her Majesty's Government have received with great regret the peremptory
demands of the Government of the South African Republic conveyed in your
telegram of 9th October, No. 3. You will inform the Government of the
South African Republic, in reply, that the conditions demanded by the
Government of the South African Republic are such as Her Majesty's
Government deem it impossible to discuss.