As far as possible the Colonists were left unmolested on their farms by the Boers, who expected them, as non-combatants, to remain strictly neutral.  The English proclamations, on the other hand, converted these non-combatant farmers into scouts, and often into spies.  They had to give the enemy every information concerning the Boer commandoes—­as to their strength, the condition of their horses, the number of unarmed burghers, of servants, their movements and plans, as far as they could discover these, etc., etc.  In some instances they were commandeered to take upon themselves the dangerous responsibility of acting as guides to the British columns, and were then dismissed to return to their farms and pose as non-combatants.  This the Boers could not tolerate, and had to prevent by forbidding it through counter-proclamations, which the enemy laughed to scorn.  The unfortunate farmer could not similarly slight and ignore them.  He had to obey them, or abide the consequences.

When the Colonists were subjected to vexations of such a serious nature, and when the British persisted in rigorously enforcing their proclamations, the position of the Colonists became untenable and drove them into rebellion.  Had the military authorities exercised greater wisdom and more common sense, so many British subjects would not have fallen away.  There were colonial rebels who never, never would have lifted a rifle, whose loyalty was beyond all questioning, but the pressure laid upon them by proclamations so numerous, onerous and odious in character, forced them to fight for or against the Boers.  To do the former would be disloyal and treasonable, to acquiesce in the latter would be violating the dictates of conscience.  Was it the fault of the Colonists that they were placed in such an awkward position?

Martial Law and the way it was administered has been one of the leading causes of the colonial rebellion.  As long as the Colonists were permitted to express their sentiments or political views through the medium of congresses, conferences, public meetings, resolutions and petitions, they cherished the hope that the Home Government would eventually listen to their pleas.  But when Martial Law was declared, the constitution of the Cape Colony was virtually suspended, and the Colonists were deprived of most, if not all, of their liberties—­liberties of speech, of the Press and of conscience.  Under Martial Law none, not even the most loyal, were allowed to write or say anything which did not harmonize exactly with the views and actions of the Imperial Government as represented in South Africa.  Now, when men may neither speak nor write, they are apt to act.  The Colonists, being compelled by this most wonderful of all laws—­if law it be at all—­acted.  For this law justified all things, as far as the war party was concerned, while it condemned the rest indiscriminately.  It gave armed men unlimited power over the unarmed.  It allowed the strong to crush the weak, the rich to rob the poor, and the scoundrel to lodge in gaol the man of honour and reputation.  Nothing so exasperated the Colonists as the odious manner in which the Martial Law regulations were carried out, and nothing made greater rebels than the harshness of these regulations.