▁an nex ation ▁of ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁the ▁Free ▁State ▁decl ined ▁Lord ▁Car nar von ' s ▁inv itation ▁to ▁feder ate ▁with ▁the ▁other ▁South ▁African ▁communities . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 0 , ▁when ▁a ▁rising ▁of ▁the ▁Bo ers ▁in ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁was ▁threaten ing , ▁President ▁Brand ▁showed ▁every ▁desire ▁to ▁a vert ▁the ▁conflict . ▁He ▁suggested ▁that ▁Sir ▁Henry ▁de ▁Vill iers , ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁of ▁Cape ▁Col ony , ▁should ▁be ▁sent ▁into ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁to ▁endeav our ▁to ▁gauge ▁the ▁true ▁state ▁of ▁affairs ▁in ▁that ▁country . ▁This ▁suggestion ▁was ▁not ▁acted ▁upon , ▁but ▁when ▁war ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁Trans va al , ▁Brand ▁decl ined ▁to ▁take ▁any ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁struggle . ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁the ▁neutral ▁attitude ▁taken ▁by ▁their ▁government ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁the ▁Free ▁State ▁Bo ers , ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁northern ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁country , ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁and ▁joined ▁their ▁bre th ren ▁then ▁in ▁arms ▁against ▁the ▁British . ▁This ▁fact ▁was ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁influence ▁the ▁friendly ▁relations ▁between ▁the ▁Free ▁State ▁and ▁Great ▁Britain . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 8 ▁Sir ▁Johannes ▁Brand ▁died . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁Brand ' s ▁presiden cy ▁a ▁great ▁change , ▁both ▁political ▁and ▁economic , ▁had ▁come ▁over ▁South ▁Africa . ▁The ▁renew al ▁of ▁the ▁policy ▁of ▁British ▁expansion ▁had ▁been ▁answered ▁by ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁Af rik an