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Report on General J.B.M. Hertzog's Speech at Smithfield , 14 October 1912
[Extract from speech at Smithfield, as reported in The Star, 14 October 1912].

 

 

Referrring to his Nylstroom speech General Hertzog said it was the policy of the Government that the South African (Africander) should be "baas" everywhere in South Africa. He should be "baas" politically in the Administration and in the schools. The Government to which he belonged was a South African Government. He had said that South Africans should be "baas" at Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, and many other places, and the sentiment had been heartily welcomed. Colonel Byron was the first to object to it.

 

Only one person had the right to be "baas" in South Africa — namely, the South African. He could understand that statement was not in accordance with the policy of the Opposition, because there were few South Africans in the Opposition. There were a few misled men, but still true. Sir Percy Fitzpatrick was much upset at the doctrine of "Good South African and foreigner". What he (the speaker) did say at Nylstroom, was that the people had become conscious of themselves as a nation. They felt their own power. They had reached national manhood, and they felt that South Africans and not strangers should rule the country. Formerly they had been governed by people who were not South Africans, and who would never become South Africans. Now that they were capable of ruling themselves they would no longer allow themselves to be ruled by those who were not South Africans. That was what he had said at Nylstroom, that Colonel Byron need not worry about the South African being "baas".

 

He would be. He would not allow himself to be governed by foreign fortune-seekers (" fortuin zoekers ") like Colonel Byron. He (General Hertzog) did not know why Sir Percy had taken offence at that, for no one could deny — certainly not Colonel Byron — that in the sense intended he is a stranger in South Africa, for he came from elsewhere. He (General Hertzog) had used the word " fortuin zoeker ", and if anyone liked to translate it "adventurer" he could not help it.

 

Sir Percy thought it a pernicious doctrine that South Africa should be governed by South Africans. Was it pernicious that England should be governed by the English? Sir Percy could not pretend that he (General Hertzog) meant only the Dutch when he said South African. Grahamstown knew he did not. Port Elizabeth knew he did not, Uitenhage knew it, and even Nylstroom knew that he had referred to all South Africans. In the same speech he had said that the journey of Sir Thomas Smartt and his confreres to Natal was useless, because the Natalians were South Africans. They had only to meet them to see that they were as good South Africans as the Dutch-speaking people. He (General Hertzog) had said South Africans should be "baas" but he wished to draw no line between the South Africans and the outsiders.

 

That was the policy which Sir Percy had said was pernicious and appealed to the prejudices of ignorant, superstitious people. He could assure Sir Percy that among the people so described were many as well educated as Sir Percy and many who had a great deal more common sense. He (General Hertzog) had said Sir Thomas Smartt was not a good South African and that Colonel Byron was a fortune-seeker. He meant that they had come to South Africa to seek their fortunes and had not yet become South African in feeling. As regards the Leader of the Opposition, he thought a man who was really a South African would not have advised that the Constitution of the Cape Colony should have been suspended. The least that could be said of a man who did that was that he was not a son of the people whom he served.

 

Speaking of the Opposition generally. General Hertzog said it was ridiculous the way in which they appealed for sympathy. Arguments they had none. If they had convinced South Africa of anything it was the unfruitfulness of their intellects. The only thing they prided themselves on was the support of the Government — where the Government was right. That was not difficult. "The difficulty is to be right ourselves and to get others to support us." The Opposition had expressed not one original thought and had shown no initiative. They simply trotted forth overworked platitudes and made pathetic appeals ad misericordiam, or else they tried to arouse suspicion. The outburst that had followed Nylstroom he could only ascribe to suspicion, to a desire to cause nervousness, and to work on the feelings of the public, especially the English-speaking public. If any one deserved the name of criminal those people did who wished to gain sympathy in that way. There was absolutely nothing in his Nylstroom speech to which any South African could take exception. People like those who lived on the Rand, who came to the country to make fortunes and then leave, would be frightened of the speech, because they felt that their influence was in danger of being lost. There was, of course, nothing wrong in coming to South Africa to seek one's fortune, but what he did object to was these people ruling the country as against South Africans. Against that he would protest.