New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-05-07

n Citizen /" tor calling attention to
the one incorrect statement In my
article | pause here.
OUR EUROPEAN LETTER
London, April 10, 1879.
From our regular correspondent.
The British Government have an.
other little war on hand in which
they will have the sympathy Of the
whole civilized world. That Mod.
ern Herod the King of Birmah, who
on his recent accession to, the throne,
caused the slaughter Of some eighty
Of his own kingmen, including won.
en- and children, deserves no mercy
from the hand of man. His two
brothers having escaped into British
Birmah, and sought protection at
the Residency, His Golden Majesty,
as the King is called, demanded their
rendation, which was refused.
Hence the massacre, including the
Minister, whose mission to the Eng
lish Resident proved unsuccessful.
In consequence of this inhuman out.
rage, and the threatening attitude
Of the King, five thousand troops
have been ordered to British Biz.
NAH, and no one will regret com.
plete extirpation Of such mockery
Of a Government. This affair is al.
together unlike the Zulu war, which
England herself provoked through
the rash action of her High Commits
sioner. Cetawayo, like Sitting Bull,
is a brave warrior, and, from his
own point Of view, true patriot. So
far from being the aggressor, he has
allowed the English colony at the
Cape to flourish in peace while con.
stantly encroachin9 on his territory.
The little disturbances among the
Dutch farmers in the Transvaal
were provoked by the settlers, not
by the natives. Sir Bartle Frere's
ultinatun sent without the authori.
ty of the Home Government, and
for which he has been so mildly CEN
sured, whipped with a feather, was
simply challenge to war of ex.
termination. No Wonder the ''black
flag was raised. Who can blame
the Zulu King for his desperate ef-
fort for freedom and life! His people,
his country, his own existance were
at stake, and all history glorifies the
hero of cause like this. It is one
of those ''big, manly wars which
make ambition virtue.'' Admit that
the Zulus are barbarians. So were
the Britons, and the Gauls, and the
aboriginals of all other civilized ma.
tions. The moral condition of a
people does not change the eternal
laws of right and wrong. Justice is
not the accident Of intelligence and
refinement. The aggressor, savage
or civilized, is always in the wrong,
whether it be the white man against
the red man of the West, or against
the black man Of the East. As fol
this genuine Old Testament King O.
Birmah, whose hands are red with
the blood of his own household, the
sooner he is wiped out of existance,
and his blotch of an empire effaced
from the earth, the better.
AS the Spring advances and the
SHOWS of Winter begin to melt
away from the mountain passes Of
the East, the kilograms from abroad
the conversations at the clubs, the
tips of those who are in diplo.
matte society, begin to take war.
like here. The mixed occupation
scheme for Roumelia is by no means
settled; but the Russian expedition
towards Nero is. From the usual
Muscovite denials to the usual Mus.
covite explanation, the military
mission has grown up gradually,
and at last is duly acknowledged.
But the Russians mean no harm II
things go we'll in Roumelia. That
is the semi official statement. By
May over 10000 well.equipped Rus.
sian troops, capable Of being in:
creased to 100000 by the Armies Of
the Caucasus, will be ready to con.
test with England the possession OF
that ancient Indian gateway, Herat.
With this intelligence comes the re.
port of Russian gold and influence
once more at Kabul and the Eng.
lish Armies preparing for the on.
ward march. This is varied with
a disaster. Crossing the River Kabul,
near Jalalabad, at night, 50 Eng.
lish hussars were swept away by the
torrent and drowned. A party Of
French troops in Algeria at about
the same time, were sufocatel OF
starved to death in the snow near
Sonaki. Soldiers have many dan.
gers to encounter besides those Of
hostile swords and guns. It is evi.
dent that the Afghan troubles are
by no means at an end If Russia
sees an opportunity she will certain.
" strike blow for prestige and
power in central Asia. The time is
thought to be more propitious than
It was few months ago. Russia
has troops on the march to strategic
points. England is well occupied
in Africa. The Egyptian question
is not yet settled. Greece IS once
more coming to the front tOuchino