In fact, the difficulties of the war made it evident that, once peace was proclaimed, public opinion at home would demand that the Transvaal, together with the Orange Free State, should be annexed to the British Empire in view of a future federation of the whole of South Africa, about which the English Press was already beginning to speak.
That South Africa should not remain a sphere of exploitation sent shivers down the spines of the financiers.

The South African League was observed to become quite active in discovering rebels.

Their zeal in this direction was felt all over Cape Colony.

Their aim was to reduce the register in order to bring about a considerable falling off of voters for the Afrikander Bond, and thereby substantially influence the results of the next election to the Cape Parliament.
At this period certain overtures were made once again to the Bond party.
They proceeded apparently from men supposed to act on their own initiative, but who were known to be in favour at Groote Schuur.

These advances met with no response, but when the rumour that they had been made spread among the public owing to an indiscretion, Rhodes hastened to deny that he had been a party to the plan--as was his wont when he failed to achieve.