"Nasty blow, political instinct" Read the full letter
Letter Reference | Olive Schreiner BC16/Box 12/Fold1/Undated/28 |
Archive | University of Cape Town, Manuscripts & Archives, Cape Town |
Epistolary Type | Letter |
Letter Date | 3 September 1899 |
Address From | na |
Address To | |
Who To | Unknown |
Other Versions | |
Permissions | Please read before using or citing this transcription |
Legend |
The Project is grateful to Manuscripts and Archives, University of Cape Town, for kindly allowing us to transcribe this Olive Schreiner letter, which is part of its Manuscripts and Archives Collections. This brief comment from Schreiner is written on the bottom right-hand corner of a letter that W.T. Stead had sent to Cronwright-Schreiner, dated 3 September 1899.
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1^Garrett told me the same thing when I was in England in 1886 OS.^
2
2
Notation
Cronwright-Schreiner has written ^‘Apropos Garretts assurance “on his honour” to Mr Stead that “he was not playing for war”, I wrote Stead that Garrett had said to me that they “would goad the Transvaal into war.”^. The name of its addressee cannot be established, but perhaps could have been Will Schreiner. The typed letter from Stead, on printed headed paper and dated 3 September 1899, is as follows:
The Review of Reviews.
Edited by W.T. Stead.
Telephone No. 2867
Telegrams “Vatican, London”
Mowbray House,
Norfolk Street, Strand.
London, WC.
3rd Sept. 1899.
Dear Mr Cronwright Schreiner,
I thank you for your letter of the 14th August, although the contents of it pains me not a little. I could not have believed that Garrett ever expressed the atrocious sentiment which he uttered in your hearing. Knowing Garrett as I do so many years, I can only explain his use of such an expression as that which you chronicle on the theory that he was talking nonsense in order to draw you out. I admit however that the line the Cape Times has taken has done much to shake my confidence in my friend’s pacific assurances.
Would you kindly tell your wife that although I do not think that she will be entirely satisfied with the way in which I have treated the Transvaal question in the Review I hope that she will not consider that I am altogether reprobate. It seems to me that the line we ought to insist upon more is to protest against the calm asumption which prevails among our Jingo friends, that having granted constitutional government to the Case we cannot ignore the fact that Mr Schreiner and his colleague are the constitutional and legal advisors of Sir Alfred Milner, and that so far as the Cape Colony is concerned he cannot act except in accordance with their advice. As you know I absolutely mistrust Chamberlain, and I cannot bring myself to believe that he will be allowed to involve us in the war.
With best respects to your wife and yourself,
I am,
Yours sincerely,
^WT Stead^
S. C. Cronwright Schreiner Esq.,
etc. etc
Cronwright-Schreiner has written ^‘Apropos Garretts assurance “on his honour” to Mr Stead that “he was not playing for war”, I wrote Stead that Garrett had said to me that they “would goad the Transvaal into war.”^. The name of its addressee cannot be established, but perhaps could have been Will Schreiner. The typed letter from Stead, on printed headed paper and dated 3 September 1899, is as follows:
The Review of Reviews.
Edited by W.T. Stead.
Telephone No. 2867
Telegrams “Vatican, London”
Mowbray House,
Norfolk Street, Strand.
London, WC.
3rd Sept. 1899.
Dear Mr Cronwright Schreiner,
I thank you for your letter of the 14th August, although the contents of it pains me not a little. I could not have believed that Garrett ever expressed the atrocious sentiment which he uttered in your hearing. Knowing Garrett as I do so many years, I can only explain his use of such an expression as that which you chronicle on the theory that he was talking nonsense in order to draw you out. I admit however that the line the Cape Times has taken has done much to shake my confidence in my friend’s pacific assurances.
Would you kindly tell your wife that although I do not think that she will be entirely satisfied with the way in which I have treated the Transvaal question in the Review I hope that she will not consider that I am altogether reprobate. It seems to me that the line we ought to insist upon more is to protest against the calm asumption which prevails among our Jingo friends, that having granted constitutional government to the Case we cannot ignore the fact that Mr Schreiner and his colleague are the constitutional and legal advisors of Sir Alfred Milner, and that so far as the Cape Colony is concerned he cannot act except in accordance with their advice. As you know I absolutely mistrust Chamberlain, and I cannot bring myself to believe that he will be allowed to involve us in the war.
With best respects to your wife and yourself,
I am,
Yours sincerely,
^WT Stead^
S. C. Cronwright Schreiner Esq.,
etc. etc