Editing Orange Free State (section)

===Orange River Sovereignty===

{{Main|Orange River Sovereignty}}

In March 1849 Major Warden was succeeded at Bloemfontein as civil commissioner by Mr C. U. Stuart, but he remained the British resident until July 1852. A nominated legislative council was created, a high court established and other steps taken for the orderly government of the country, which was officially styled the [[Orange River Sovereignty]]. In October 1849 [[Moshoeshoe I|Moshoeshoe]] was induced to sign a new arrangement considerably curtailing the boundaries of the Basotho reserve. The frontier towards the Sovereignty was thereafter known as the Warden line. A little later the reserves of other chieftains were precisely defined.<ref name="eb1911-text"/>

The British Resident had, however, no force sufficient to maintain his authority, and Moshoeshoe and all the neighboring clans became involved in hostilities with one another and with the Europeans. In 1851 Moshoeshoe joined the republican party in the Sovereignty in an invitation to Pretorius to recross the Vaal. The intervention of Pretorius resulted in the [[Sand River Convention]] of 1852, which acknowledged the independence of the [[South African Republic|Transvaal]] but left the status of the Sovereignty untouched. The British government (under [[First Russell ministry|the first Russell administration]]), which had reluctantly agreed to the annexation of the country, had, however, already repented its decision and had resolved to abandon the Sovereignty. [[Henry Grey, 3rd Earl Grey|Lord Henry Grey]], [[Secretary of State for War and the Colonies]], in a dispatch to Sir Harry Smith dated 21 October 1851, declared, "The ultimate abandonment of the Orange Sovereignty should be a settled point in our policy."<ref name="eb1911-text"/>

A meeting of representatives of all European inhabitants of the Sovereignty, elected on manhood suffrage, held at Bloemfontein in June 1852, nevertheless declared in favour of the retention of British rule. At the close of that year a settlement was at length concluded with Moshoeshoe, which left, perhaps, that chief in a stronger position than he had hitherto been. There had been ministerial changes in England and the [[Aberdeen ministry]], then in power, adhered to the determination to withdraw from the Sovereignty. Sir [[George Russell Clerk]] was sent out in 1853 as special commissioner "for the settling and adjusting of the affairs" of the Sovereignty, and in August of that year he summoned a meeting of delegates to determine upon a form of self-government.<ref name="eb1911-text"/>

At that time there were some 15,000 Europeans in the country, many of them recent immigrants from Cape Colony. There were among them numbers of farmers and tradesmen of British descent. The majority of the whites still wished for the continuance of British rule provided that it was effective and the country guarded against its enemies. The representations of their delegates, who drew up a proposed constitution retaining British control, were unavailing. Sir George Clerk announced that, as the elected delegates were unwilling to take steps to form an independent government, he would enter into negotiations with other persons. " And then," wrote [[George McCall Theal]], "was seen forced the strange spectacle of an English commissioner addressing men who wished to be free of British control as the friendly and well-disposed inhabitants, while for those who desired to remain British subjects and who claimed that protection to which they believed themselves entitled he had no sympathising word."<ref name="theal-eb1911">G. McCall Theal, History of South Africa since 1795 [up to 1872], vols. ii., iii. and iv. (1908 ed.), quoted in {{cite EB1911|wstitle=Orange Free State}}</ref> While the elected delegates sent two members to England to try and induce the government to alter their decision, Sir George Clerk speedily came to terms with a committee formed by the republican party and presided over by Mr J. H. Hoffman. Even before this committee met a royal proclamation had been signed (30 January 1854) "abandoning and renouncing all dominion" in the Sovereignty.<ref name="eb1911-text"/>

The [[Orange River Convention]], recognising the independence of the country, was signed at Bloemfontein on 23 February by Sir George Clerk and the republican committee, and in March the Boer government assumed office and the republican flag was hoisted. Five days later the representatives of the elected delegates had an interview in London with the colonial secretary, the [[Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle|Duke of Newcastle]], who informed them that it was now too late to discuss the question of the retention of British rule. The colonial secretary added that it was impossible for England to supply troops to constantly advancing outposts, "especially as [[Cape Town]] and the port of [[Table Bay]] were all she really required in South Africa." In withdrawing from the Sovereignty the British government declared that it had "no alliance with any native chief or tribes to the northward of the Orange River with the exception of the Griqua chief Captain [[Adam Kok III|Adam Kok]] [III]". Kok was not formidable in a military sense, nor could he prevent individual Griquas from alienating their lands. Eventually, in 1861, he sold his sovereign rights to the Free State for £4000 and moved with his followers to the district later known as [[Griqualand East]].<ref name="eb1911-text"/>

On the abandonment of British rule, representatives of the people were elected and met at Bloemfontein on 28 March 1854, and between then and 18 April were engaged in framing a constitution. The country was declared a republic and named the Orange Free State. All persons of European blood possessing a six months' residential qualification were to be granted full [[Burgher (Boer republics)|burgher]] rights. The sole legislative authority was vested in a single popularly elected chamber of the [[Volksraad (Orange Free State)|Volksraad]]. Executive authority was entrusted to a president elected by the burghers from a list submitted by the Volksraad. The president was to be assisted by an executive council, was to hold office for five years and was eligible for re-election. The constitution was subsequently modified but remained of a liberal character. A residence of five years in the country was required before aliens could become naturalised. The first president was [[Josias Philip Hoffman]], but he was accused of being too complaisant towards Moshoeshoe and resigned, being succeeded in 1855 by [[Jacobus Nicolaas Boshoff]], one of the voortrekkers, who had previously taken an active part in the affairs of the [[Natalia Republic]].<ref name="eb1911-text"/>