The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-06-17
JusTToE 1N gouTH AFRToA.
The Story OF n Exans Tribe and its Treat
meat by the English Troops,

The story OF a ESanr Tribe and it's Treat
mens by the English Troops.
An interesting debate took place
/ few days since IN the British parliamen
on the trial of the Zulu chief Lsngali
I balele and the circumstances connected
with the so called Kafr outbreak in th;
colony of Natal IN the autumn of 1873
| In that colony-which Is about one
third the size of England, with some
| Is, 600 inhabitants of European descent
and q native population more than ter
/ times as large-the removal of q Kali
tribe, with its cattle. bevoDd the border.
| or the state without having first oh.
tslned the permission of the authori.
/ ties, is deemed illegal, and In itsel1
2 almost an overt act OF rebellion.
The Hiwbi tribe having had some
disagreement with the Natal govern
ment about the registration of guns
given them for working IN the diamond
fields, determined to seek more con-
genial soil. The last detachment of the
tribe had reached g place called Bus
mans River Pass, near the frontier,
when 1t was overtaEen by. an armed
force of the colonies sent in pursuit
long parley ensued, which ended in
fighting and the death of five English
men. For these few random shots fred
IN fear and anger, a terrible revenge
was taken. The pursuit of the retreat
ing KRfirs was continued with a larger
body of volunteers the tribe, with an
allied one even less guilty, was broken
up, its goods and chattels were pillaged
or destroyed, the women and children
were thrown into virtual slavery, and
their lands we're ravaged. Their chief,
Langalibalele, who at the time of the
skirmish was miles In advance with an
other portion of his people, was placed
on trial, the main charge against him
being that he was directly responsible
for the death of the i've volunteers.
The tribunal before whom the unfor-
tunate NJ IN was arTajgned was remarka-,
bly, constituted, end his trial was one of
the most extraordinary on record. The
presiding judge was Sir Bsnjamin Pine,
the governor of the colony and COM
mander- in-chief of its military, while
the rest of the court was made up Of
chiefs of tribes hostile TO the prisoner,
and of cOlonists. Among the white
judges was the father of one of the
young men for whose killing the as
eused was on trial. The prisoners
plea, in which some of the facts alleged
were admitted while it was ayerred that
the conclusion drawn from them was
entirely erroneous, though in reality a
plea of not guilty, was at once construed
as plea of guilty, and six Of the judges
pronounced judgment against him. On
the following morning it was announced
that the court would then proceed to
hear evidence, the purpose being s'to
place on record the extent of the pris-
oner's crime" Witnesses were examin-
ed for tine next five days, and then
Lsngalibalele was sentenced to impris-
Onment for life on an island. He was
found guilty of having permitted is
tribe to possess firearms, of insulting q
magistrates messenger, of disregarding
the summons of the Natal government
and finally of the willful murder of the
Eve volunteers. The admitted fact that
be was far In front of the retreating
force, and had had no personal COM
munication with those who fred the
was considered an insufficient
on the ground that Mabuble,
Whc actually commanded the COM
was found in company with
LangaIibslele when the latter was ar
rested.
On the third day of the trial, the
prisoner on being asked If he should
like counsel, replied in the affirmative.
The barrister however, was sent for,
was told that he could not see his client
nor be allowed to say anything save IN
extenuation of his guilt, because that
had been admitted. Naturally the
lawyer refused to take the case under
such conditions.
Bishop Colenso interested himself IN
the cause of the unfortunate Kafr, and
visited England mainly to plead his
cause. Sir Benjamin Pines report 10
the colonial Office was considered so far
from satisfactory that he was relieved as
governor of Natal. Earl CarnRrvOn has
denounced the illegality of the whole
"The servants of the
crown are bound,' he says, g to have
in this matter, and bound,
also, to have voice; and when an act
of wrong or Injustice has been done in
any part of the empire, II Is their duty
TO notice it. It is not 3 question,
said the Lord Chancellor. {" which can
be slurred over or buried, or with re-
gard to which we can say, Well, 1t was
not satisfactory, but after all the man
who was tried was a very bad man, and
If he had not committed the offense
which he did he would have tried to do
something else, so the best thing we
could do was to confne him. %"
Sir Garnet Wolseley, the conqueror
of the Ash bantees, has been sent out to
Natal, and through his tact and COM
mon sense it is hoped the relations be-
tween Kafirs and colOnists viii become
more harmonious.