Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-03-28
ENGLAND AND THE BOERS.

sins to account for at the bar of history.
Her treatment of the Boers-the Dutch
settlers in South Africa-is an instance,
according to her own officers, of singu-
lar injustice, cruelty and tyranny.
Lieut.-Co Butler, of the English army,
gives in the current Contemporary
clear narrative of the causes of this war
against the Beers, which are condensed
for the benefit of our readers, begging
them to remember that if England is
shown to be wicked, her wickedness is
exposed not by American prejudice, but
by an Englishman who was in posi-
tion fitting him to judge.
In 1886, large number of Dutch
families, regarding themselves as un-
justly and harsh,y treated by the Eng
lish Government of Cape Colony, de-
termined to seek freedom and independ-
ence. Sacrificing their lands, and con-
verting their property into oxen. sheep,
horses and wagons, they crossed the
Orange River and pushed northeast
into the wilderness. The English At
torney-General acknowledge their per-
feet light thus to withdraw from the prov
ince under British rule and the relations
of British citizenship. "TheY mean,"
he said, ''to consider themselves no long
er British subjects. Here clearly is no
claim either to the persons of the Beers,
or to the lands into which they were ad-
vancing. Indeed, these lands were un-
occupied by any white man. The ma
tive Zulus claimed it, and stubbornly
resisted the purpose of the Beers to set
tie among them. Bloody battles were
fought with the Zulu savages, with al
ternating victories. 1t seemed often as
if the Dutch would be swept utterly
away. At one time their heroic leader,
Pieter Rietef, and seventy of his COM
panions, were invited by the Zulu king
to peaceful conference, where they
were to be put in formal possession of
the territory they had conquered, But
the artful Zulu had only allured them
to massacre. The too confding Dutch
were treachously slain. But the re-
mainder of the company, and especially
the women, never faltered. Living in
wagons, journeying from point to point,
fighting and negotiating, they at last
acquired country of magnificent rich
ness and beanty From the Drakens-
berg they could gaze down far-reaching
and fertile slopes looking toward the
east, and whose shores were bathed by
the waters of the Indian Ocean. Then
they built huts where Durham now
stands; and though they were worn by
hardships and disease, and miserably
destitute of every comfort of civilized
life, they bore their calamities with he
roic fortitude, and considered themselves
happy in their independence. But,
alas just as they considered the Prom
ised Land gained and their troubles
over, what was their amazement and in
dignation to find themselves pursued by
a column of one hundred English troops,
hurrying in hot haste under the osten-
sible plea of afording the Beers protec-
ton However, this column was short
ly withdrawn, and the Beers, dreaming
themselves forever free from further in
reference, laid out their seat of Govern
ment, and named it peter itzburg'
after their lost leader, Pieter Rietef, and
his companion, Cert Maritz. They ex-
tended and defined their dominion un.
der the title of "Republlc of Natalia. u
Here they began to thrive, showing
themselves to be 'a homely, sober, vir-
tuous, quiet, dull race of beings, as full
of faith in God, and of fair dealing be-
tween man and man, as this world holds
human sample of. But after enjoy
ing about three years of peace and pros
perity, they were suddenly attacked by
British troops. and Post Natal was seiz
in the Queens name. Mr.. Pretorius
their ablest man, was sent to Cape Col
ony to demonstrate with the English
Lord High Commissioner. He was de-
j MED personal interview. Having SEN
in a written protest against "her Majes
TVS gracious protection, which he de
clared was interpreted by the great ma
jority of those who had experienced i
; in Cape Colony to be alienation, op
f preston and determination, he shool
: the dust from his feet against the Eng
lish once more, and prepared with hi
long suffering people to try the fortun
! of new wilderness beyond all possibl
claims of English authority. Into tn
: bleak wilds of the Vaal and Orang
0 Rivers they plunged, exposing them
2 selves to "a state of misery" which. 81
t Harry Smith says, she never saw equal
! ed except in Masena's invasion of Portu
0 gal, when the whole of the population
j of the seat of war abandoned thei
homes. The scene was truly heart
rending." But proclamation follow
: ed them declaring the land between tn
y Orange and Vaal Rivers to be Britis
:. territory. This was too much. Tn