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

64 SIR G. CATHCART'S OPI~'ON.of Africa 9.o0'flinst a white and Christian people shouldbe noble.Whilst on this subject I cannot refrain from quotingG.overnor Sir Geo. Cathcart's opinion thereon; which,although, perhaps, not so very noble as an abstractprinciple, is indeed a most sound and admirable policyto practise :-• "With regard to Mr. Porter's expression of opinion as to thedoctrine of interference in native qUlm."els, or even between remotesettlers and their neighbours, founded on motives of humanity,e~erience has oonvinced me that in most cases the evil is aggravatedultimately by interference; for that, although the whitesettler has a tendency to encroach, and it appears to be a law ofnature that he &bould prevail, '"' indifJidutll inter8Bt u more to lifJB in1'B4tJB with Au neighlJOU'I' than to gUIIN"el with Aim; his encroachmentsare gradual, for he oovets and grasps at no more than he wants,and, possibly, though I fear but rarely, his object is acoompliabedby fair means. Whereas, on the other hand, when military interferenceis bad recourse to, it is apt to oommence on slight grounds,and terminate, after much blood&bed, in the extirpation of thewhole hostile race, and in the acquirement of vast territories whichcannot be adequately occupied for ages to come, and in the meantimeonIy to be retained as waste lands under military control."We will now consider certain facts in reply to thequery as to why England has so long, and especiallynow, at the present time, pursued a hostile and aggressivepolicy against the boers.What has always been urged by Her Majesty's representativesas the 'excuse to justifY annexation andslaughter as applied against the Dutch settlers, is theaccusation that the latter have encroached, were sus-• Yule Despatch from Sir G. Oa.thcart to the Secretary of State forthe Oolonies, Noyember 14., 1852, p. 73, Blue Book (No.2), II OrangeRiver Oorreaponclence,I851--4r."Di9itize~ by Goog Ie