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recognition, have been made by the Boers to Her Majesty's Government, and it would be necessary to give an answer to them whether we intervene or not, and whether we are prepared to admit wholly or in part, or to refuse to admit to any extent, the position which the Boers claim; secondly, that it is impossible to ignore the posi- tion which the Boers occupy in the Zulu country, or, after this lapse of time, to take steps in entire repudiation of all claims on their part; and thirdly, that the Boers have established a de facto Government in the country, and are de facto in possession of a portion of the country; and there- fore, if we decide to intervene, and if we desire to intervene in a manner that will serve the purposes we have in view without too great an incon- venience and without the risk of too great a sacrifice, we must take into account the actual situation and deal with those who are in possession of that situation.
7. The two communications made on the part of the Boers to Her Majesty's Government were made in December, 1884, and in October last. On the first occasion Messieurs Esselen, van Staden, and Liversage came down to Natal, representing that they were sent by the Govern- ment of the recently established "new republic," as a deputation for the purpose of giving informa- tion regarding matters in the "new republic" and in Zululand, of forming friendly relations with the Government of Natal, and of negotiating with that Government on certain matters. declined to do anything that would involve, or imply in any way, a recognition by us of the political position assumed by the Boers, but I saw the members of the deputation, and I undertook to forward any statement they might desire to make to Her Majesty's Government. accordingly drew up a statement, which was transmitted by me to the Secretary of State on the 8th of December (1884). On the other occasion Mr. Esselen, who had come to Europe, addressed a communication direct to Her Majesty's Government. The first of these communications contained an expression of friendly sentiments and of a desire to enter into friendly relations with Her Majesty's Government, and the latter contained a request for the recognition by Her Majesty's Government of the "new republic."
They
8. In both these communications, indeed, a position is assumed on the part of the Boers to which we might well take exception, because the position which they assume is one acquired by means of a wrongful compact made with the leaders of a party in the Zulu country, and made in disregard and in violation of conditions which Her Majesty's Government had, in the due exer- cise of their rights, laid down in respect of the Zulu country at the time that Cetywayo was
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