immediately released him. He quickly buried the
bodies of the dead Kafirs, and they resumed their
farming-operations as if nothing had happened.”
Not only does a crude theology colour the life and
guide the political existence of the Boers, but it
absolutely threatens to prove the source of their disintegration.
From the earliest days of their history
church disputes have been readily fomented and
violently contested. At the present time one of these
is raging to the edification of the whole community,
and is : consequent to the amalgamation of the two
churches, Ned Herv and Ned Gereformeerde, which
took place about five or six years ago. There were
many dissentients to this amalgamation who refused
to join it, and obtained a minister from Holland. It
was agreed at the fusion that all properties should be
transferred to the amalgamated churches, but this
the dissentients refused to ratify, and a lawsuit was
commenced in the High Court. But this is little to
what occurred at Zeerust last year, when fifty armed
Boers entered a Church, took possession of the same,
forcibly ejected the minister from the pulpit, and
turned the congregation adrift. It is no exaggeration
to say that over this dispute the Boers were in measurable
distance of civil war. My friend the farmer,
of whom I have previously spoken, assured me with
anger and sincerity that before any alteration was
made with the present government of the Pretoria
church, the contents of his rifle would have to be
reckoned with, and that a notice would be sent to all
the Europeans to avoid the Church Square on a certain
day. The President at the time of writing is endeavouring
to bring about, if not a reconciliation, at
all events some form of arrangement; but feeling runs
so high, that a cartoon on the subject just exhibited in
a stationer’s window was compulsorily removed, in
obedience to the threats of angry men, who would
otherwise have demolished the windows. The Boer
has no sense of humour.
These disputes are a real danger to the State; their
solidarity to the present moment is the only strength of
the Boer government, and when once faction commences
the liquidators of the present Republic will step in *.
On October 5th occurred the first Dutch church
festival during my residence, and of which there are
several annually. To attend these the Boers travel
in their wagons with their families from all the surrounding
districts. Members of the church take the
Sacrament, and the younger people are examined and
admitted as church members. In former years the
Church Square was covered with tents and wagons
on these occasions, as the Boer has the right to^ out-
span on the Square, and still possesses the privilege,
which does not improve the sanitation of the town.
The government now by quiet persuasion endeavours
to induce these worshippers to camp outside; but
most stand upon their “ rights,” though, as amongst
all people, there are found the few reasonable spirits
who listen to advice. I counted thirty-five wagons on
the Square this Sunday morning, with the tents under
which the families had slept, and towards evening
the oxen were gathered together, ready to inspan and
start homeward at daylight. Truely these Boers are
a strange and unromantic people, a mixture in religion
of the old Israelite and the Scotch Covenanter, and a
nasty people to manage if their religious prejudices
are attacked. I met the President walking to attend
this service with his Bible under his arm and his pipe
in his mouth. The President, however, belongs to
the Hopper branch of the Church, which still remains
intact, and the church is opposite the presidential
residence, and is regularly attended by his honour,
who sometimes conducts the services. The Doppers
are the Quakers and Plymouth Brethren of the Dutch
Church in the Transvaal. As a rule no instrumental
music is used in their services, and no hymns are
* Since this -was written the President has by conference settled this dispute
and has stated * that a serious danger to the State had been happily
averted hy the combined efforts of the delegates ” ( I Press ’ Weekly Edition,
Sept. 5,1891). '