comprehend how a Government lik e th a t o f the E nglish should allow th e ir c h ild re n to cross the boundaries and seize on the lands o f o th e rs , then q u arrel w ith them, d riv e them f a r th e r and fin d in g they have not power to sub due, t e l l them they a re Independent and th a t they can loake a kingdom o f th e ir own."!
The dlG like of Government evinced by tho m issio n aries seems to have been only on the su rfa c e , fo r tlfiey ho%)cd s t i l l th a t Government would be the means to peace and p ro te c tio n . That they d islik e d some of the p o lic ie s does not n e c e ss a rily mean th a t they were turned i r re c o n c ila b ly a g a in st i t , but in th e ir disappointm ent, they showed strong f e e lin g s . T heir a lle g ia n c e to the N atives stood above th e ir p a trio tism to the Government, but they p referred to have both. I f Government would be benevolent and help them in th e ir cause.
The fa c t th a t the Government could provide peace meant to a l l the fu rth eran ce of O h ristia n work, but i t a lso had a second fa c to r— the spread of c iv iliz a tio n ; and i t may be assumed in th is p erio d , th a t c iv iliz a tio n meant W estern c iv iliz a tio n in p a r tic u la r . Probably the stro n g e st advocate fo r the p la n tin g of c iv iliz a tio n as such was Isaac Hughes, who,stood in a tr a d itio n a t Griqua Town. Speaking of h is disappointm ent In the a c tio n s of the Government, he s ta te s the hope he had had.
"The r e la tiv e p o lit ic a l p o sitio n a t Griqua Town and d i s t r i c t a re the same as l a s t y e a r, w ith one im portant exception, v iz , i t s connection or standing w ith the Oape Colony on i t s south.
Last year i t had i t s valued tr e a ty of a llia n c e w ith the Oolony, !M offat to Tidman, 9 A p ril 18)2. For sim ila r com plainte and b i t t e r
n ess, see Solomon to Tidman, 10 December 1850, Hughes to Thompson, 9 December 18)0, Hughes to Tidman, 12 June 1851, In g lls to Tidman, l6 June I852, and Mackenzie to Tidman, 1 March 1859.
5ft. f o r a l l th e purpose* o f fre e oom #rce, and mutual p ro te c tio n , and every th in g wae in a f a i r way to a o lo aer union, and
ev e n tu ally am algam ation. But now the fiald tr e a ty has been withdrawn by th e Governor o f th e Oolony, G eneral O arth o art, The la te tre a ty had promised to solve the questlon-'-how the trib e » could a l l be brought under the influenoe and c o n tro l o f the Oolony, fo r the gcnerol good. Our labour» of f i f t y year# among them fo r th e ir o iv llia a tio n may a l l thue become
l o s t , For m yself ao f o r my prcdeoeeaore in the m ission—Rev, Andereoa, Helm, W right, ae a lso other» of fello w labourer»
a t l l l in the f i e l d , I may sa fe ly
rmy th a t second to th e ir
e v e rla s tin g in te re a te o f our people, was and la held th e ir gradual e le v a tio n in to a llia n c e and eventual amalgamation w ith the Oolony, as th e ir n e a re st neighbour of c iv llie td and O hrl»- tia n ia e d and. the la te S ir B* D'Urban, Governor w ith hi» D aoretary B e ll, and the B ritis h Government o f th e day nine te e n year» ago,, f u lly ap p reciated our m otives, and g lad lyseconded our e f f o r ts fo r th a t o b je c t, We fe e l th is p o in t, p o litic a l or what i t may be c a lle d , ao vitally.f;«?oimected w ith the progress o f our m issionary work among th e Griquae and neighbouring t r ib e s . I s o la tio n from neighbourly c iv ilis e d and O h ristia n n atio n s would ru in our miemion and people# O hrie- tia n ity can not liv e w ithout c i v ilis a tio n , and c iv ilis a tio n can not liv e in I s o la tio n ," !
The m ism ionariee, in much
trying
tim es, were c a lle d upon to do more than change th o ir a ttitu d e toward tho Government, Asimen who were w ell acquainted w ith both B ritis h and N ative problems and p o in tsof view, and v ir tu a lly the only w hite men tru a te d by the m tlv e s , the ro le o f ad v iso r and agent fo r Native I n te r e s ts f e l l to thorn# The
number o f l e t t e r s and c o n su lta tio n s between them and the Government rose g re a tly , and they became in c re a sin g ly Involved In p o litic a l
m a tte rs, Rome of the mlGsionarJfee who were p o litic a lly in c lin e d entered in to bhla ro le e a s ily w ithout qualms o f conscience, w hile o th e rs who had a d is ta n te fo r such a c t i v i t i e s , n ev erth eless entered in to them becauas o f the d i f f i c u l t G itw ation, An example o f the l a t t e r may be !Hughes to Tidman, 29 November IB )), For an e la b o ra tio n o f th is -point
o f view and a c tiv i ty , see a lso Hughes to Tidman, 24 June 1 8 0 and 6 December 18)7,