The “Row about the Great Diamond”: The Presentation of the Cullinan Diamond to the British Crown, 1907
Keywords:
British Crown, C.F. Beyers, conciliation, Cullinan Diamond, Earl of Selborne, Edward VII, G.H. Farrar, H.L. Lindsay, Het Volk, J.A. de la Rey, J.C. Smuts, J.C. Wernher, J.P. Fitzpatrick, L. Botha, Premier Mine, Pretoria, Progressives, Transvaal Labour Party, Transvaal Legislative Assembly, Transvaal National Association, Britse troon, die Graaf van Selborne, Progressiewes, Transvaalse Arbeidersparty, Transvaalse National Association, Transvaalse Volksraad, versoeningAbstract
English
The gift of the Cullinan Diamond to the British Crown is remembered as a manifestation of a conciliatory policy which the Botha-Smuts Ministry embarked upon following Het Volkís victory in the February 1907 Transvaal elections. This was indeed a magnanimous gesture and a source of reassurance both to Liberal sympathizers in Britain and to many ìBritishî voters in the Transvaal. It however also served a party-political purpose in that it confronted the Progressive Opposition with an embarrassing choice. Support of the proposal would have contradicted their consistent criticism of the Government in connection with the Transvaalís weak financial and economic condition. Their eventual opposition to the gift appeared to reject the hand of conciliation and the generous gesture of loyalty to a Crown to which they had always claimed devotion. The parliamentary debate which preceded the presentation of the Cullinan Diamond marked a singular victory for Het Volk and weakened the Progressive Oppositionís standing with its mining-house financial backers.
Afrikaans
Die twis oor die “Groot Diamant”: Die aanbied van die Cullinan-diamant aan die Britse Kroon, 1907
Die skenking van die Cullinan-diamant aan die Britse Kroon word onthou as die vergestalting van die versoenende beleid wat die BothaSmuts Ministerie na Het Volk se oorwinning in die Transvaalse verkiesing van Februarie 1907 gevolg het. Dit was inderdaad ʼn ruimhartige gebaar en ʼn bron van gerusstelling vir beide die Liberaalgesindes in Brittanje en die vele ìBritseî stemgeregtigdes in die Transvaal. Dit het egter ook ʼn party-politiese doel gedien, aangesien dit die Progressiewe opposisie met ʼn moeilike keuse gelaat het. Indien hulle die voorstel sou ondersteun, sou dit beteken dat hulle hulle aanhoudende kritiek van die regering rakende die Transvaal se swak finansiÎle en ekonomiese posisie sou moes weerspreek. Hulle uiteindelike teenstand teen die skenking het die indruk geskep dat hulle die hand van versoening en die groothartige gebaar van lojaliteit aan die Britse troon, aan wie hulle deurgaans toewyding verklaar het, verwerp. Die parlementÍre debat wat die skenking van Cullinan-diamant voorafgegaan het, het op ʼn sonderlinge oorwinning vir Het Volk uitgeloop en die Progressiewe opposisie se posisie by hulle finansiÎle ondersteuners in die mynhuise verswak.
