"Citizen franchise league, women here far behind, nothing like England" Read the full letter
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Letter ReferenceSmuts A1/186/76
ArchiveNational Archives Repository, Pretoria
Epistolary TypeLetter
Letter DateFriday 19 May 1899
Address From2 Primrose Terrace, Berea, Johannesburg, Transvaal
Address To
Who ToJan Smuts
Other VersionsRive 1987: 353
PermissionsPlease read before using or citing this transcription
Legend
The Project is grateful to the National Archives Repository, Pretoria, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Special Collections. The date has been written on this letter in an unknown hand. Schreiner was resident in Johannesburg from December 1898 to late August 1899.
1 Friday
2
3 Dear Mr Smuts
4
5 I don’t think I shall be able to go to Bloemfontein as I’m too
6busy writing. I am writing an article on the situation which I hope
7will may open the eyes of the English public to the true condition of
8affairs a little. I will be able to say in it all I would have said to
9Milner if I had met him personally, & will send him a copy. If it is
10too long for the ^news^ papers here, I shall have to print it in
11pamphlet form, but I hope it will appear in the paper on Monday.
12
13 Yours sincerely
14 Olive Schreiner.
15
16
17
Notation
The 'article on the situation' referred to is Schreiner's An English South African's View of the Situation, originally published in the South African News over three successive days; see 'Words in Season. An English South African's View of the Situation' South African News 1 June 1899 (p.8), 2 June 1899 (p.8) and 3 June 1899 (also p.8). It was also reprinted in a number of other newspapers. It then was published as a pamphlet, then as a book. A second edition of the book was ready but withdrawn from publication by Schreiner when the South African War started in October 1899, so as not to profit from this. Rive's (1987) version omits part of this letter and is also in a number of respects incorrect.