The Appeal of H. R. Fox Bourne
In pursuit of economic gains and driven by a sense of nationalistic duty, the British empire expanded into many lands, often heedless of their native inhabitants. It is; however, difficult to fund imperialistic practices and maintain public support when lives are measured in materials. So, resolutions were made to accommodate the natives so as to maintain public support for expansion n the colonies. In the face of ever greater profits, such promises rarely withstood the tests of avarice and time. As Fox Bourne puts it, "We undertook the protection of the natives of Transvaal" when it was annexed in 1881." "Those natives," he said, "had been our subjects. They were the majority of inhabitants, and we retroceded to the Transvaal the subjects whom we had promised to protect. The treatment of the natives of the Transvaal has been disgraceful. It has been unworthy of a civilized power" (Fox Bourne p. 5) In, Blacks and Whites in South Africa: an account of the past treatment and present condition of South African Natives under British and Boer control he implores the people to recognize the atrocities committed in their names and cease turning blind eyes from the consequences of their own prosperity. Since his plea made in the opening section is the motivation behind his book, it persists throughout the latter sections influenced by his ethical concerns and personal agenda.
