The difficulty of dealing with a man of Mr. Kruger’s nature and training was further illustrated by another occurrence in these negotiations.  During a meeting between the President and the High Commissioner in the presence of their respective staffs the former became very excited and proceeded to speak his mind very openly to his friends, referring freely to certain matters which it was undesirable to mention in the presence of the British party.  Mr. Ewald Esselen, the late State Attorney, wrote in Dutch in a very large round schoolboy hand, ’Be careful!  There is an interpreter present,’ and handed the slip of paper to the President.  The latter stopped abruptly, looked at the slip of paper, first one way and then another, and after a long pause threw it on the table saying, ’Ewald, what does this mean?  What do you write things to me for?  Why don’t you speak so that one can understand?’

Early in 1895 efforts were made by the Dutch officials in Johannesburg and a number of private individuals to induce the President to visit the place again, when it was thought that a better reception would be accorded him than that which he had experienced on his visit in 1890.  Mr. Kruger steadily refused for some time, but was eventually persuaded to open in person the first agricultural show held on the Witwatersrand.  Every precaution was taken to insure him a good welcome, or, at least, to avoid any of those signs which would indicate that Johannesburg likes President Kruger no more than he likes Johannesburg; and even those who were most conscious of the President’s malign influence did all in their power to make the visit a success, believing themselves to be in duty bound to make any effort, even at the sacrifice of personal sympathies and opinions, to turn the current of feeling and to work for a peaceful settlement of the difficulties which unfortunately seemed to be thickening all round.  The event passed off without a hitch.  It would be too much to say that great enthusiasm prevailed; but, at least, a respectful, and at times even cordial, greeting was accorded to the President, and his address in the agricultural show grounds was particularly well received.  The President returned to Pretoria that night and was asked what he thought of the affair:  ’Did he not consider it an amende for what had happened five years before?  And was he not convinced from personal observation that the people of Johannesburg were loyal, law-abiding, and respectful to the head of the Government under which they lived?’ Mr. Kruger’s reply in the vernacular is unprintable; but the polite equivalent is, ‘Ugh!  A pack of lick-spittles.’  In spite of a subsequent promulgation it seems clear that there is no ’forget and forgive’ in his Honour’s attitude towards Johannesburg.  The result of this interview became known and naturally created a very bad impression.

During his second term of office Mr. Kruger lost much of his personal popularity and influence with the Boers, and incurred bitter opposition on account of his policy of favouring members of his own clique, of granting concessions, and of cultivating the Hollander faction and allowing it to dominate the State.