“Third—That all re-enforcements of troops which have arrived in South Africa since June 1, 1899, shall be removed from South Africa within a reasonable time, to be agreed upon with this government, and with the mutual assurance and guaranty 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 this republic during the 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 burghers of this republic from the borders.
“Fourth—That Her Majesty’s troops which are now on the high seas shall not be landed in any part of South Africa.
“This government presses for an immediate and an affirmative answer to these four questions and earnestly requests Her Majesty’s government to return an answer before or upon Wednesday, October 11, 1899, not later than 5 o’clock p. m.
“It desires further to add that in the unexpected event of an answer not satisfactory being [[253]]received by it within the 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 movement of troops occurring within the above-mentioned time in a nearer direction to our borders, this government will be compelled to regard that also as a formal declaration of war.”
This document was signed by F. W. Reitz, State Secretary, and handed by him to Mr. Conyngham Greene, Her Majesty’s agent at Pretoria. On Wednesday afternoon, October the 11th, at 3 o’clock, Mr. Greene delivered the reply of his government, which read thus:
“Her Majesty’s government declines even to consider the peremptory demands of the Transvaal government.”
Within an hour the telegraphic wires had flashed through all the South African Republic the ominous word “Oorlog”—war!
Mr. Conyngham Greene at once asked for his passport, and on the next day, October the 12th, with his family, he was sent, attended by a guard of honor, to the border of the Orange Free State, [[254]]where a similar guard received and conducted him to British territory in Cape Colony.
Thursday, the 12th of October, was a busy and exciting day in both the Transvaal and the Orange Free State—for the two republics stood as one in the struggle. That night—twenty-four hours after war had been declared—30,000 burghers were on the borders ready to do battle. Of these 20,000 invaded Natal under General Joubert, and the vanguard under General Kock occupied Newcastle on the 13th of October. The other 10,000, under General Piet Cronje, crossed the western border into British Bechuanaland and marched on Mafeking.
Thus, and for the causes set forth, began the Africanders’ Second War of Independence. It was not in the proposed scope of this book to treat of its fortunes. The prospect is that it will be a long and sanguinary war. The story of it will afford abundant and interesting matter for a later volume.