IsiXhosa Intellectual Traditions (IsiXIT) Digital Archive

OUR friend the Port Elizabeth Telegraph thus notices Mr. Makiwane's essay in its own inimitable style: There is a good deal in his thesis that instructs us, there is much that amuses us ; there is not much to carp at, and very little to raise ire or even determined opposition. This native gentleman, for he certainly writes as a gentleman should write for other gentlemen to read, no matter if his skin be so black that a B B pencil would make a white mark upon it—this native gentleman expresses himself as astonished that so much labour, energy, learning, heat, and ability are expended in order to prove the South African natives an inferior race. He asks why should so much be attempted to be proved when after all it will settle nothing. He maintains that no native short of a lunatic would deny the superiority of the English nation, not merely over the native races, but over any other nation in the world. He puts forward the rather unique theory that the slow progress of the mass of the natives towards civilization is entirely owing to the aversion of natives to female education. He adds that the moral and social storms that beat on the head of an educated native young man are sufficient to make him ask himself whether it ' is not folly to be wise ' —in so far as book wisdom is concerned. He honestly observes that—and here we quote a few lines literally—' I have after much and careful thought come to the conclusion that our young people deserve more sympathy than they often get; that what ought to be a surprise is the number of those who after all have stood. The test is severe and violent. My own circum stances have on the whole been more to my advantage than those of most other native young men, bnt when I consider what others have been called upon to face I say that there is no reason to despair. Indeed I have found in my enquiries that Huropean youths who through various circumstances have been exposed to the cold chill of contempt have failed in making any perceptible mark in the world.' We are sorry to find that in this writer's essay there is a tendency to misanthropy and discontent. Adversaries will at once say this comes of educating men out of their sphere. And there may be something in this. But there is altogether another, and we beg to submit a more sensible, way of looking at this painfully interesting matter. To put it in a homely form, is not half a loaf better than no bread ? Is not the twilight preferable to Cimmerian darkness? Is not the even slightly instructed Kafir a better man than the raw native in his red clay and filth ? Now, notwithstanding the slight soup on of pique that at times pervades Mr. Makiwane's thesis, he is evidently a man who can think and reason and quote and apply. Let us commend him and his co-thinkers of Kafir nationality well to weigh, and to practically apply, words that he has himself quoted though perhaps without giving them the consideration they deserve : ' Labour is not only a necessity, but it is also a pleasure.' It ' is indeed the life of humanity ; take it away, banish it and the race of Adam were at once stricken with death.' This is the duty of each of us, and its discharge will in due time settle all. IT was observed the other day by our valuable mentor, the Port Elizabeth Tele graph, that we were 'quite enthusiastic in cricket—a game which seems quite to hit the Katir fancy; ' and for once our friend, who is as a rule—in writing about Natives—often carried away by what Lord Beaconsfield described as 'the exuberance of one's verbosity ' is correct. On Saturday week a team of the ' Brotherly Unity C.C., of Lovedale apprentices, competed with the fire-eaters of the leading European club at Alice, the Victoria C.C., for the championship of the willow, and we are naturally proud to say the club of colour won by four runs and eleven wickets to fall. It is now a matter of history that while the leading European team from this town was virtually routed at the recent Cricket Tournament at Port Elizabeth, it was reserved for the Native team, drafted from the local Native Club, bearing the appropriate designation, ' Champion Cricket Club,' to redeem the Cricket reputation of Kailraria lost at Port Elizabeth; for the 'Champion' carried everything before it at the Native Cricket Tournament at Graham's Town during the vacations. We understand that the ' Champion ' has been challenged to try conclusions with the leading European Club in town, and the match may come off next Saturday. Not being prophets, nor sons of prophets ourselves, we are not able to venture a prophecy, but hope the Africans will acquit themselves like men. We are awaiting the results of the match with considerable interest. OUR readers have doubtless not forgotten our article bearing the Yankee heading 'Gerrymandering,' in which we recorded our judgement against what we considered the capricious action o Government in annexing a portion of the (Jala to the St. Mark's District, the nature of which annexation resulted in unrest and incipient lawlessness. An esteemed correspondent—native of course—at St. Mark's, 'pulled us up sharp' in an article of which the precis is as follows :— Matanzima and his people are against what we represented in our article. They say there never was any ground for Government to confiscate their land as they never went into rebellion. Siqungati's outbreak cannot be alleged as the reason inasmuch as he was merely a refugee from his brother Ngangelizwe's iron rod and when he went into rebellion he did so with afew ofhis (Siqungati's) followers, while he (Matanzima) remained as a loyalist. Precisely the same situation might have been witnessed in Ngangelizwe's country where several minor chiefs entered into rebellion, and yet the feelings of a Select Committee of the House of Assembly were that Ngangelizwe's country should not be sold without his consent Matanzima's followers fail to see why Government should make fish of Ngangelizwe, and flesh of Matanzima. On behalf of Matanzima our correspondent denies that orders have been given that ' school people ' should trek from the land retroceded to him. The writer is of opinion that we must have been writing in the interest of some people in the Gala district, who had been promised morgen in the strip of country under notice. Some Europeans at Southeyville had an eye at ' Nabothing' the country in question. THE object of our observations on the question of the annexation of Matinzima's country to St. Mark's, was to point out the mischievous blundering of separating from the nearest and annexing to a distant seat of magistracy a number of raw, easily-excited people which we still hold should be reconsidered. Our correspondent, it will be observed, does not attempt to justify the gerrymandering. He spends his undoubted abilities in demonstrating the palpable and culpable error of the Government of this country in tolerating systems for the management of the natives which vary according to the number of districts. ' Herein we are at one with our correspondent. If the facts are as he states them the Government has not dealt fairly by Matanzima. But, as we have already said, this aspect of the position was not before our minds when we wrote the leader on the wisdom or wisdom of the annexation. UllWHEN a couple of young folks, writes a critic, get so that they want to waltz all the time at a ball, and have no quadrilles, that is a sign that they are never going to stop until some furniture man is made happy. ONE of the greatest mischief-makers the world has known, and a man probably re¬sponsible for more fights, hard feelings, and bitter tears than any other being who ever lived, was he who started the idea that it's a disgrace to be red-headed.