The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-05-26
How England swallows a Republic.

While the British government IS denouac'
ing what is called "the aggressive policy OF
Russia" the following significant item ap'
pears in the London papars:
A dispatch to Reuters Telegram company
from Cape.own, April Il, via Madeira, an
nouncCs that the Transvaal republic has been
annexed to the British empire, and the Brit
ish flag hois:ed at Pretoria Mr.. Snepstone
informed President Burgers that he could
wait no longer, and proclaimed Transvaal
British territory on IApril II. President
Burgers has issued a protest against the
annexation, but has at the same time coun'
selled peaceable submission Messrs Jor,
rison and Paul Kruger, two leading inhabl-
tants will proceed to Europe and the United
States to protest against the annexation to
powers who have recognized the republic.
A body of British troops have entered Trans
vaal Some rioting is thought likely, but
armed resistance is improbable.'
The region which has thus been unceremoni'
ously gobbed " by our English cousins
is in Southeast Africa, between latitude 22-
81 S. and longitude 2.-31 E., about nine
hundred miles by land from Cape Colony
Its area is some 10000 square miles. In lS4S
when England annexed the Orange River
Free state, the Beers or Dutch settlers who
did not like British rule emigrated to Trans
vaal (Which means across the Naal river y
and established a republican form OF govern
ment, hoping and expecting to be let alone
in the future by the power which had selZed
their former home. They number at present
perhaps $4,000, and though provcrbially ig
uorant and obstinate have succeeded in at
tanning reasonable degree OF prosperity
Nearly all of them are farmers, and as the
country is quite favorable for agriculture
81, nho oh no a
respectable garden, and introduced a sort OF
standardization among the surrounding
tribes Their religious views are ultra-Cal
whistle. and it is SAID that few of them are
unable to read their Bibles and hymn-books
English writers assert that they are exceed
ingly bigoted in all their opinions, and that
they have virtually enslaved such of the ne
gro population as could be made useful
This latter statement, however, should be
received with caution; for Englishmen are
IN the habit of looking with prejudiced
eve upon any community that Goes not wor
ship with its face toward London
We are not aware that the people OF the
Transvaal republic have done anything &c
Justify their absorption into the British EN-
pire, and from the tenor of the above dispatch
ii is evident they preferred independence &c
annexation. In spite of The protest of th'
president and leading men, British aGen
proclaims that the republic has ceased to eN
ist, the British flag Is hoisted, a British army
marches in, and The whole business is finished
IN good old.fashionrd British style. Vow 6
principle that applies in Europe, ougnt-it l
be founded in iustice-to apply equally wei
in Africa; ana if England has moral RICH
to appropriate Transvaal, Russia has rnt
right to appropriate s. much OF European
Turkey rs She Gun -, er hands on. But We
,ap,ura ~ .,v ti,.r d.. inch lOplC rs This viii