Abraham Kuyper

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A revised and updated version of
Abraham Kuyper: An Annotated Bibliography 1857-2010 by Tjitze Kuipers (2011)

You can buy a printed edition of this book on the site of the publisher.

1883

1883.07
Address to the members of the Anti-Slavery Society and the Aborigines Protection Society.
London, Harrison and Sons, 1883. 15, [1] pp., 21cm.
Published: November 1883.
Dated: London, November 12, 1883.
Cover title.
See also: 1919.14.
Translation (Dutch), see: 1919.13.
BLPES.

This address about the “native question” is an apologia that Kuyper drew up in London in cooperation with the Rev. S.J. du Toit. In De Standaard 12 (1883), no. 3577, November 13, 1883, Kuyper referred to this item as an “apologia concerning the Kaffir Question [that] shall be distributed in large quantities in England and Germany.” The address was signed by S.J.P. Kruger (1825–1904), president of the South African Republic, S.J. du Toit, superintendent of education, and N.J. Smit (1837–1896), general. This three-member delegation from the Transvaal (cf. 1884.02) had come to London for talks with the English government about the revision of the Convention of Pretoria (August 3, 1881). The convention granted the Transvaal “complete self-government, subject to the suzerainty of Her Majesty.” The implication of this agreement was that the Transvaal could not carry out any independent foreign policy. The delegation tried to reword the agreement to avoid this consequence. Du Toit (see 1882.06) likely invited Kuyper to advise the delegation about formulating documents for the English government and about conducting talks with government officials. Kuyper remained in London from November 1–14, 1883.

The two societies to whom the address was delivered shared the opinion of the lord mayor of London that Transvaal Christians were falling short of their Christian duty with respect to the “Kaffirs.” The Transvaal Government had even been accused of slavery and inhumanity. Recent correspondence with the lord mayor (pp. 13–15) was also included in this apologia (BLPES, pamphlets, HT/D108, special).

The address was published, among other places, in The Times, no. 30.976, November 13, 1883. A Dutch version appeared in De Standaard 12 (1883), no. 3578, November 14, 1883. In 1930.04, Kuyper wrote that he had no knowledge of this apologia, but “had at that time submitted many letters to the editors of various English newspapers.” In all likelihood, this address was published in pamphlet form after Kuyper had already returned to the Netherlands.