land er ▁population ▁on ▁the ▁Wit w aters rand . ▁The ▁state , ▁however , ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁identified ▁with ▁the ▁reaction ary ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁Republic . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁the ▁Volks ra ad ▁passed ▁a ▁resolution , ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁declared ▁their ▁read iness ▁to ▁entertain ▁a ▁proposition ▁from ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁Republic ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁some ▁form ▁of ▁federal ▁union . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁Re itz ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁presiden cy ▁of ▁the ▁Orange ▁Free ▁State . ▁The ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁president ial ▁election ▁to ▁succeed ▁him ▁was ▁won ▁by ▁ ▁M . ▁T . ▁Ste yn , ▁a ▁judge ▁of ▁the ▁High ▁Court , ▁who ▁took ▁office ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁President ▁Ste yn ▁visited ▁P ret oria , ▁where ▁he ▁received ▁an ▁ov ation ▁as ▁the ▁probable ▁future ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁Republic s . ▁A ▁further ▁off ensive ▁and ▁def ensive ▁al liance ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁Republic s ▁was ▁then ▁entered ▁into , ▁under ▁which ▁the ▁Orange ▁Free ▁State ▁took ▁up ▁arms ▁on ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁host ilities ▁between ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁Republic ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 8 9 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁President ▁Kru ger , ▁bent ▁on ▁still ▁further ▁c ement ing ▁the ▁union ▁with ▁the ▁Orange ▁Free ▁State , ▁had ▁visited ▁Blo em f onte in . ▁It ▁was ▁on ▁this ▁occasion ▁that ▁Kru ger ,