Adamantia : the truth about the South African diamond fields : or, a ...

sm HARRY SKlTH'S p(1,[.ICT. 47tion among them. • . . The mUrIDUl'I of discontent which aroaewere speedily fanned. into a flame of open rebellion, - which displayed.itaeIt in the beginning of July, 1848, upon the first attemptmade by Major Warden to layout their farms, as directed. in SirH. Smith's proclamation of March, 1848; when they drove theBritish Resident and the Magistrates of Winburg and Smithfield(the only officials in the country), with the small detachment oftroops, across the 01"&Dge River. Sir H. Smith then brought upa force of 500 men, which he headed himself, and encountering theiuurgeuts at Boemplaats on the main road to Bloem Fontein,where they had taken up a strong position, he defeated. them, and,pU1'8Uing his march, reproclaimed. the Queen's sovereignty over theeountryat Bloem Fontein on the 2nd of September, 1848, underaroyal salute."However, having beaten the emigrant farmers intosubmission to his views, Sir Harry Smith proved himselfto be (putting aside the " Rule Britannia" palsion,and instructions from the British Government) botha magna.njrnous conqueror and a. just man, for one ofthe first things he did was to rectify the unfair provisionsof the objectionable "·alienable" and" inalienable"land treaty made between Sir Peregrine Maitiand andthe Griquas. It is as well to quote his own explanationof this transaction. t In a despatch to Earl Grey,bearing date January 20th, 1851, he states:-Ie 5.-After mature deliberation, and having consulted. with AdamKok, with the lJolr., and with all the native chiefs, I proclaimed.Her. Majesty's sovereignty, in order to establish a paramount authorityin this debateable territory. In this measure, the great principleby which I was guided. was that all the inhabitants, white andcoloured, should continue in pOBBeBBion of the farms and the terri-• How could people be said to be in .. open rebellion" againat &power to which they had not submitted, and which had seized theircountly by force P Mr. Green, being a British oflioial, could not, wemust suppoae, term the boars patriots.t V"1de p. 82, Blue Book, .. Oruge RiTer Oorreapondence, 1851-4.."Digitized by Goog Ie