Middletown transcript., 1881-03-25
The Beers.

question is often asked, WHO are the
Beers ~ The following brief sketch of
the history Of this hardy and pugna-
cious people may be of interest to the
general reader The first Dutch settle
ments in Southern Africa were estab-
lished in the beginning of the 18th cen
tury, and grew rapidly while the Meth
erlands were ruling maritime power ;
but during the 18th century the ad-
venturous spirit Of the Dutch died
away, and as the influx of fresh ele-
ments from Europe diminished, the
original settlers of Cape Colony devel-
Oped a peculiar character of their own,
singularly blending the steadiness and
deliberation of the Dutch with reck-
lessness and energy. The Beers could
never be reconciled to the transfer Of
the Colony to Great Britain in 1914,
and maintained a secret but constant
opposition against all efforts to Angli-
cize the colony. The lenient policy
which the British adopted towards the
Caffres, and finally the emancipation Of
the negro slaves, in 1888, which threat
ened to overthrow the entire domestic
system of the Beers, and the retroces-
sion of government of the neutral cas-
tern frontier district to the Caffres in
1885, determined them to emigrate and
to establish in the enterior an indepen-
dent community. AS early as 1885
several bands crossed the Orange river
and effected new settlements, but were
soon destroyed by malignant coast fe-
vers. A third band, after enduringmany
hardships and several fights with the
Matabelee Caffres, finally settled in the
Orange river district where they or
ganized a patriarchal commonwealth
under Peter Retief. Meantime small
British colony had been established at
Port Natal by Capt. Gardner, who
abandoned it as hopeless in 1886. The
remaining colonists called on the Beers
to unite with them, and in 1887 Retief,
with his followers, crossed the Quath-
lamba mountain but at an interview
with the chief of the ZoolOo Caffres he
and his companions were treacherously
slain. The remnant Of his followers
| founded the settlement of Pieter-Mar-
itZburg and defeated the Zooloos in
February, 1888. In 1910 Gov. Napier,
by proclamation, denied the right of the
Beers to form an independent commu-
nifty, even beyond the boundries Of the
British possessions. In 1912 a small
British force was landed, which COM
PEELED the Beers to retire from the coast
and to accept the amnesty offered them
in exchange for their recognizing the
British sovereignty. Many of them,
unwilling to submit, recrosSed the
mountains and settled in the Vaal re-
gion. The British having possession
of Natal, at once began to disturb the
traditionary rights Of the Beers. The
consequence was, that again large
portion of them emigrated to the north
ern boundry Of Natal, where, for three
years, unprotected by the government,
they struggled against the Zooloos.
When at length they had overcome
the resistance of the Caffres by their
Unaided efforts, the colonial govern
ment Immediately proclaimed the Buf-
falO river as the northern boundary of
Natal, thus once more subjecting the
Beers to British rule. After some re-
sistance the Beers determined to emf
CRATE to the Vaal country. The Gov
ernor General attempted to retain them
by promising full redress of their griev-
ances, but it was too,late. In 1S48 the
colonial government annexed by proc
lamation the Orange river sovereignty
to the Cape Colony. The Beers took
to arms but were finally defeated after
long and obstinate resistance. Pretor- |
ious, their leader, with the majority of |
his followers, unwilling to submit to
the British, migrated to the North, |
beyond the Vaal river, and there found |
ed the Transvaal Republic. Some r.
900 Beers remained in the Orange river
country, but, although subdued by
force, they preserved their hostile feel
ings against their conquerors. The at
tempt to introduce convicts into the
colony was so energetically resisted that |
the government was obliged to desist. |
In 1853 the REIMBURSEMENT of the
Orange river country to the Beers was
resolved upon by the government, and |
this act was consummated February |
%, 1854, the Orange River Republic |
being recognized as an independent /
State by England. Since this time the
republics Of Orange river and TransvaaI
have rapidly gained strength and power.
The Orange river Republic has an erea
of AS, ,049 square miles with popula-
lation of $4,000, of whom $4,000 are
white. The Beers are principally cat
tie raisers. The Transvaal Republic
has an erea of n, 1854 square miles with
a population of 100000. The form Of
government is Democratic. Every
white man is entitled to a homestead
of 5000 acres from the public lands.
The Beers are represented by those
who have sojourned among them as
plain, honest, straightforward, pious
and hospitable, but distrustful of for
eigners, especially Englishmen. They
live in the most patriarchal way on their
pIaatS, or cattle farms, in comfortable
though unpretending dwellings. Be
sides cattle breeding their favorite Oc-
cupation is hunting. Inns are un-
known and no Boer ever denies hospi-
5ality to stranger.