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the violent attitude which has been adopted by Natalians towards a lawful subject of Britain’s “magnificent dependency”—India—a land which is spoken of as the brightest territorial jewel in the English diadem.—The Johannesburg Times, January 1897.
- The illegal methods of intimidation, which the people of Durban have employed to raise their grievance into the magnitude they wish it to occupy, have been justified by the grave importance of the interests at stake and by the results so far achieved . . . Quietly, and without boast or bluster, they have all along had the movement under their aegis and control, although to some of the purblind people in the Colony it has seemed as if the administrative power had been transferred to the leaders of the Demonstration movement.—The Natal Mercury, January 14th, 1897.
- It would be a mere affectation to pretend that the Demonstration was a success from the party’s point of view. All the oratory at the Point yesterday, which was couched in a very different key from that at the mass meetings, cannot obscure the fact that the primary object of the Demonstration, the prevention of the landing of the passengers on board the two steamers, has not been achieved. What has been gained could, as we have always maintained, have been equally attained by other means . . . What, we may ask, has been gained by yesterday’s proceedings? If it be said that they have shown the imperative need of doing something to stop the Asiatic invasion, we reply that was shown with equal force by the mass meetings, and was, in fact common cause. If it be urged that the Demonstration showed that the people were in were in earnest, we fear we cannot assent to the proposition, because the assembly dispersed on receiving from the representative of Government exactly the same assurances as they received a week ago. The Government then promised to bring in legislation to deal with the question. Mr. Escombe yesterday repeated the assurance; but he gave no further pledges; he did not agree to a special session of Parliament, nor did he promise to send the Indians back. The Committee in fact, now declare their readiness to leave the whole matter in the hands of Government, without the slightest reason for doing so more than existed a week ago, and while the proclaimed object of the Demonstration is unfulfilled. We are not surprised that a good many persons regard the affair as a mere fiasco—a brutum fulmen—and express the belief that the Durban people will not be very anxious to figure in another such demonstration. . . . The practical abdication by Government of its functions during the week, in favour of the Committee, was so extraordinary as to irresistibly produce a suspicion that it was all prearranged. The self-elected committee virtually constituted themselves a sort of provisional Government as regards this particular question. They regulated the movements of the steamers,
