John Xavier Merriman, 1887 (skets deur W.H. Schröder)
John X. Merriman, seun van aartsdeken Merriman, was een van die mees briljante politici van die Kaap. Sy politiese loopbaan strek oor meeste van die belangrike politieke gebeure van die laat 19de en vroeë 20ste eeu en bereik ‘n hoogtepunt toe hy dien as eerste minister net voor Uniewording in 1910. Merriman was aanvanklik ‘n liberaal en werk nou saam met Rhodes toe laasgenoemde premier word, maar word daarna pro-Boer.
The Selections From The Correspondence of J. X. Merriman is in vier volumes gepubliseer:
VRS I-41 dek 1870-90. Dit handel oor Merriman se vroeë lewe aan die oostelike grens van die Kaap en die eerste jare van verantwoordelike regering vanaf 1872. Ekonomies dek hierdie tydperk ook die ontdekking van diamante en goud, bekend as die minerale revolusie.
VRS I-44 dek 1890-98. Dit sluit sy tyd as Tesourier-Generaal van Rhodes se kabinet in, sy uitval met Rhodes, asook die tydperk voor die Suid-Afrikaanse oorlog.
VRS I-47 dek 1899-1905. Dit sluit in die Suid-Afrikaanse oorlog, Merriman se tyd in die Pro-Boer Schreiner se kabinet asook die tyd wat hy as opposisie dien. Gedurende hierdie tyd het hy geveg teen die opskorting van die Kaapse grondwet en vir ‘n billike ooreenkoms vir Kaapse rebelle. Dit word afgesluit met sy deelname aan die South African Native Affairs Commission en die verkiesing wat dr Jameson aan die bewind gebring het as premier.
VRS I-50 dek 1906-1924. Dit handel oor die totstandkoming van die Unie, sy siening oor grondwetgewing en sy tyd as premier van die Kaapkolonie. Merriman het ná die Unie in die parlement gebly en deelgeneem aan geleenthede voor en net na die Eerste Wêreldoorlog.
Merriman is in 1841 in Engeland gebore maar verhuis as sewe-jarige saam met sy ouers na Suid-Afrika. Sy pa was aanvanklik Aartsdeken van Grahamstad maar word alter biskop (VRS Vol I-37, The Cape Journals of Archdeacon MJ Merriman 1848-5 in 1957). John X. ontvang sy opvoeding aan die Diocesan College (Bishops) in Kaapstad en later aan ‘n Engelse openbare skool naby Oxford in Groot-Brittanje. Hy keer in 1862 as ‘n gekwalifiseerde landmeter terug na die Kaap, waar hy in afgeleë landelike gebiede aan regering- en privaat opmetings werk. In 1869 word hy as lid van parlement vir Aliwal-Noord verkies. Sy werk as landmeter was vervelig en nie winsgewend nie; in 1871 besluit om sy geluk op die diamantvelde te soek. Merriman het diamante verkoop, goudmyne probeer ontwikkel, en was selfs kortstondig ‘n wynhandelaar in Kaapstad.
Percy Molteno
DieScanlen kabinet in 1884 (Merriman sit links en Rhodes staan tweede van regs)
Merriman se parlementêre loopbaan was langer as 50 jaar – een van die langste in Kaapse geskiedenis. Hy het ‘n reputasie ontwikkel as elegante spreker, vir slim sê-goed en ‘n skerp verstand. Hy was egter ook bekend vir sy wisselvallige onbestendigheid met dramatiese veranderinge in sy sienings. Merriman se blywendste bydrae tot kennis is deur die Merriman Papers, ʼn newe-produk van drie van sy kenmerke: hy was lief vir skryf, hy het ‘n verskeidenheid en warmte van sy vriendskappe, asook die belangrikste eienskap van die beste briefskrywers – hy kon sy ervarings en gedagtes, inteendeel, byna sy stem, met meelewing vasvang, sonder hindernisse of vervaging.
Hierdie volume dek Merriman se vroeë lewe aan die oostelike grens van die Kaap en die eerste jare van verantwoordelike regering vanaf 1872. Ekonomies dek hierdie tydperk ook die ontdekking van diamante en goud, bekend as die minerale revolusie.
Die Mark, New Rush (later Kimberley) ca 1873
Eers in 1892 vind hy sy tweede beroep wat hy kon kombineer met ‘n politiese loopbaan. Hy koop ‘n klein plaas, Schoongezicht, buite Stellenbosch. In 1917 word hy verkies as lid van parlement vir Stellenbosch, na hy Aliwal-Noord vir 47 verteenwoordig het. Merriman het sy politieke loopbaan begin as ‘n konserwatief, ‘n teenstander van ‘n regering wat aan die parlement verantwoording moet doen, en het ‘n regeringsvorm verkies wat aan die keiserlike regering in Brittanje verantwoording moet doen. In 1875 het hy ‘n ommeswaai beleef en word uitgenooi om in die kabinet van die eerste premier van die Kaap, John Molteno, te dien. Na die Molteno regering omvergewerp is, het Merriman etlike jare as leier van die opposisie gedien. Na nog ‘n regeringsverandering in 1881 dien hy, saam met Cecil John Rhodes, in T.C. Scanlen se kabinet. In 1890 word hy aangestel as Tesourier-Generaal in Rhodes se regering maar bedank drie jaar later toe korrupsie in Rhodes se saketransaksies onthul is. Hy het uiteindelik sy verhouding met Rhodes beëindig ná die Jameson-aanval in 1895.
Hy dien weer as Tesourier-Generaal W.P. Schreiner se kabinet van 1898 tot die val van Schreiner se regering in 1900. Gedurende hierdie tydperk het hy probeer om die Anglo-Boere oorlog te vermy, maar is in die openbaar in Brittanje as ‘pro-Boer’ beskuldig. In 1904 neem hy leierskap van die Suid-Afrikaanse Party (SAP) oor en dien as opposisie in parlement. In 1908 het die SAP saam met die Afrikanerbond, beheer van die Vergadering verkry. Hy dien as eerste minister van die Kaapkolonie vir twee jaar tot en met Uniewording op 31 Mei 1910.
John X Merriman en die Pall Mall Gazette (Skets deur W H Schröder, 1884)
UITTREKSEL UIT DIE TEKS
Extract. J. X. Merriman to Mrs. A. Merriman.
February 10, 1886.
I really had not the heart to do my usual spell of writing yesterday, so annoyed and vexed was I. As I wrote last, things were going well and certainly public opinion here was coming round to the plan. On Monday morning Rhodes comes out with a circular from the De Beers Company, containing proposals for amalgamation which though not absolutely incompatible with ours will be considered as a rival scheme, and they appear without one word of mention of the agreement made with us to join the ‘Unified’. The fact is that though Stow and Rhodes, the leading directors, are entirely in favour of our plan which they clearly see will double their prosperity, yet they are too timid to come forward and support it because it is opposed to the current of local opinion. Well, Moulle was furious and was for writing and at once breaking off the whole thing, he had a very warm interview with Rhodes at which some very warm language was used. Generally we both think that the whole thing is at an end but we have determined to await the telegram from England. . . we have lost confidence ourselves and without that how can we inspire confidence in others. It is very disappointing; lack of success is nothing but to be fooled as we have been is very annoying. It was not an enemy either that did us this dishonour. But Rhodes is the same in business and politics, tricky unstable and headstrong. Never able to take a line and follow it! It is a serious defect in his character and unless he mends it will destroy his usefulness and mar what may be a fine career. I have felt both in politics and now in business the effect of this curious fashion of lukewarm agreement. Actually as an opponent he would do far less harm than he does as a sort of half-and-half friend. I am all the more sorry because I like him personally so much.
Extract. J. X. Merriman to Mrs. A. Merriman.
February 21, 1886.
I think that I may now really tell you that the whole thing is at an end. On Friday I learnt from Currey that Rhodes had told him, and presumably other people too, that he—Rhodes—did not intend the scheme to go through and that he did not see why outsiders should interfere in the amalgamation of the mines and so forth. Putting two and two together we came to the conclusion that he was hanging on just to raise the price of De Beers’ shares and to further some private plans of his own—so we determined to break off the whole thing. . . . It is a great pity, for if Rhodes had run straight the thing would have gone through but he is as unstable in business as he is in politics—and one can only take him as one finds him, make the best of his good qualities and regret his bad.
Extract. J. X. Merriman to J. B. Currey.
March 24, 1886.
My dear Currey,
I had a letter written to you—in my head—when I got yours. I quite agree with you that Rhodes is a good fellow, and that makes his occasional lapses the more painful to his friends but. . . his instincts are of the right sort. He may do much good out here if he would manfully throw in his lot with the honest and intelligent party and make up his mind to fight Tommy [Upington] and all his works. I doubt not but in time Rhodes will find out that labouring for Dutchmen qua Dutchmen, and pandering to their prejudices, is only sowing the wind. When once a party forms itself on national lines, on race lines, any alien who assists it is only welcomed as a tool and will be rewarded with ingratitude. Our policy is clear, and that is to make no distinction between Dutch and English, but to oppose everything like the Bond that aims at working on purely Afrikaner lines. Just for the moment Upington seems to be aiming at drawing …
Redakteur
Na ‘n uitmuntende loopbaan, tree Phyllis Lewsen aan die einde van 1981 af as medeprofessor in geskiedenis en navorser oor Kaapse parlementêre geskiedenis aan die Universiteit van die Witwatersrand. Sy publiseer ook John X. Merriman se biografie.