The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-29
SECOCOENI AND CETYWAYO.
The south African MOnarchs and Their
Grievances.
NEW YOrk Sun

lNeW YORK Sun
During the past month the name OF Getty
wayo, or katschwayO, up to that time unno
| ticed and almost unheard Of Ia this country
| has become nearly MS familiar as that OF SIT.
| ting Bull. Once or twice, however, another
| South African name has crossed the ocean
cable with q vague hint Of Importance at.
| tached to 1t, whose relations to the Zulu cam
| paign are much less we'll defined This sec
| ond name is Secocoeni; it may yet be not lese
| prominent in public attention than that OF the
hero Of Isandula.
SecocDeni is an Independent Zulu chief and
head OF the Matabele tribe, whose kraal is In
the mountains $50 miles, as the crow flies due
north OF the famous battlefield near Rourkes
drift, where Col. Durnford's troops were late
ly annhilated The rugged and billy country
and Steelpath rivers, on the latter of which
are Fort Burgers and Fort Wenber, while a
short distance to the east, near Lydenburg, is
Kruger'S Post.
For may years Secocoeni has been at en-
nifty with the Transvaal republic, whose
domains border Oh his own. In 1876 the Dutch
beers Of the Transvaal had gained sufficient
Roadway against him to be willing to make q
peace, which was agreed to upon the January
following. But when Great Britain annexed
the Transvaal, 1t was discovered that this
peace had been humiliating to the public, and
that war would break out again.
However, a year passed without much
demonstration on either side. During that
time Secocoeni had warned his sister Legol-
wanna, q neighboring ruler In her own right,
and also Cetywayo, the Zulu King, that the
British were bent on further conQueStS and
that they must begin the attack. CetywayO
held back, not desiring to have the first wrong
Of invasion on his side. But In February,
1878, Secocoeni and Legolwana took the Of
fensve, attacked the British settlements near
Fort Weber and made forays through the
Lydenburg district. Capt. Clark, of the Royal
Artillery. commanding In this district, at once
sounded the alarm. and called on Natal for
re-enforcementS. These were hurried forward,
including part of the Nineteenth Regulars
and Natal Volunteers and Col. Rarland's as
Sumed command OF the campaign. Legol-
wanas kraal was attacked, and afterward
Secocoenis. Both attacks We're repulsed,
though the want OF forage for horses had
something to do with the misfortune. Thus
passed the year 1878. At the time the war
with Cetywayo broke out, the Thirteenth
and Eightieth Regiments, with some yolun-
teers. were still In Secocoenis country, ex-
pecting TO renew operations. A few days
since came news that Secocoeni was prepar
ing to attack Lydenburg, and that Pretoria
was also fortifying against him. As Pretoria
IS nearly 200 miles southwest OF Lydenburg,
1t will be evident at once how widespread
must be the alarm prevailing far north of the
scene OF Cetywayos operations.
In one respect, however the English may
profit by these demonstrations Of Secocoeni
The beers, who have lately been uneasy I'M
Eng HSH duHcAdtiOH, may uOW Ut IlOIe
content with 1t, so long as it furnishes a
much-needed military ally against pressing
dangers. In addition, the British will be able
with more grace to urge the beers to defend
themselves against the various natives, and
thus an economy In British troops will be
effected. For the present 1t Is clear that
Cetywayo has serviceable ally in Secocoeni,
and one who may possibly Outlast him ia hos
Utilities.
The necessity OF retrieving the disaster at
L., hae, priti IN
spirit of aggressive Jingoism concerning
South Africa. But it was not two months ago
that British military journal of high char
acter announced the impending war with the
ZuluS in bitter terms. 1t declared that the
coloniStS ought to bear the brunt of a conflict
with 1.-THE enemy they have provoked" that
Sir Bartle Frere and Sir The0Dhilus Shepstone
should be restrained from further schemes
of conquest and annexation" and that better
business should be found for British regi-
ments than "Caffre hunting, kraal burning
and cattle lifting" 1t put the whole question
In this terse way:
Do the British settlers want more land?
Certainly no; for the settlers are now too few
to make use of what they enjoy and are In
great minority among the natives. Ii they
covet their neighbors' goods, let them go and
take them, without involving the people OF
this country in ingloriouS wars.
A change in the military situation has nat
urally superseded this style of comment for
time, but 1t was none the less the com ment
OF truth and SobernesS.
Lent has come. Lay In your Shadines.