New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-12
THE WAR IN THE TRANSVAAL.

THE BOERs-ATTITUDE OF THE HOME GOVERN
MINT.
lFRoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l
LONDON, March LII anybody had been asked a
month ago to name the British officer who, next
after Sir Garnet Wolseley and Sir Frederick Rob
erts had the most brilliant future before him. the
answer would have been Sir George POmerOy
Colley. To-day the one remark about him is that 1t
is happy for him that Boer bullet has found its
way to his brain. His death relieves him from the
burden of what would have been an intOorable
unanimity of bitter reproach. 1t has been his evil
fortune to fight three battles the borders of the
Transvaal, and TO lose them all. All three were
fought principle that of an overweening con-
tempt for his enemy There officers of high rank
in the British Army-there are probably great
many-whose inference from these disasters IS OF
the kind which belongs to past generation Sir
George Colley they saw scientific" soldier;
and You see what scientific soldering has come to.
1t IS quite true that this unhappy commander be-
longed to the set who of late years, have tired TO
convert the art of war into a scieuce TO profit by
the lessons of modern campaigns and to adapt the
conditions and methods of fighting to the necessities
resulting from inventions which are both modern
and scientific He has failed. andthere comes forth
with fresh 0utcry, of which TOO niue \ has been
heard before against the theory OF which he was an
exponent Nothing is easier than to say that
u I
ton of it, OF the imperfect conception of it, which
has done the mischief. But the Old-fashioDed SOL
der who is still IN the majority among British OIL
GERS seldom cares to look below the surface Oi
things. 1t is enough for him that q new-tashloheu
man has been tried and has broken down. lie
forthwith pronOunces the fashion absurd, and
reverts with complacencv 10 the good old days oil
=" Brown Bess" and the Duke of WellingtOn's recon-
mendation of Eton cricket as the most desirable
school for training the British officer.
A friendly pen has described Sir George Colley as
intensely self-reliaut "Being," adds this writer,
of the highest culture and education in his profess
sion he was unable apparently. to contemplate the
possibility Of failure in any enterprise to which he
set his hand" He had had experience. but expe-
rience had not taught him caution All his service
in the field had been against enemies whom lie
would have called barbarous: the Kaiirs, the
Chinese the Ashantess and tho Zulus During the
Afghan war he was Lord Lytton's military secre-
tary and adviser, and nobody suppose that
prolonged Intercourse Of confidential and friendly
kind with Lord Lytton would be likely to impart to
any human being the virtues of modeSty or pru-
dence One heard now and then minors that Sir
George Colley was responsible, in whole or in part,
for the astonishing views military affairs which
camo 10 the world authenticated by the signature OF
Lord Beaconsfelds Viceroy of India. But people
were wiling to condone all that remembering what
he had done elsewhere and being constantly re-
| minded that Sir Garnet Wolseey wasready to vOuch
for the abilities of Sir George Cooley There were in
deed those who said that Sir Garnets condencein Sir
| George was almost too well founded; that, for eX-
ample such credit the former in the Ashantee
| campaign was really due TO Colleys organizing
| capacity Almost everybody however, augured
we'll of the Transvaal business when it became
known that Sir George COley was TO have the man
agement OF it. The first mishap hardly shook that
| confidence-of such stubborn stuff Is British faith
| composed At the second there some alarm.
| And when yesterday morning brought news of the
catastrophe on the Spitzkop it was instantly felt
that Sir George Colleys death had relieved the Gov
| eminent from what would have been otherwise the
unpleasant but imperative duty OF removing him
| from command.
As to the causes of the British defeat there was
some misapprehsnsion yesterday. but to-day there
ia nome The talk about failure TO bring up reserves
Of ammunition has come to an END, except in the
| columns of The DAILY TeleQrSph. The readers of
that journal are expected 10 accept instead OF the
news which its rivals have. confident boasts and
comments which the facts prove absurd Nothing,
cries the JInRo organ. nothing but the failure OF
ammunition would have made our soldiers yield the
ground: and the story that the Beers charged is
pronounced incredible any other theory, and we
| are told that the British force. when beaten, was
|
may be read at length and exceedingly we'll told in
| The Standard whose correspondent was with the
force that seized the SpitZkop and was taken pris
oner by the Beers but released, and allowed 70 go
| hack to the camp at Mount Prospect He, at least
has respect for the enemy which lingo writer at
| n safe distance does not think it necessary TO
| press He testfes frankly and honorably TO the
| courage and humanity and solderke conduct OF
the Beers and describes the capture of the hill as
4N,.W .,.E..l,N
| be proud. His evidence is the more valuable be-
cause he is it is understood. officer, not serving
as such, but on leave
The military mind. here and elsewhere, is much
puzzled by the repeated successes of the Beers,
and disposed to search for some other and
| further explanation Of them than can
| be supplied by the easy but cheap
method of mputing rashness to Sir George Colley.
Rash he was. beyond doubt, but rashness and folly
on the part of one general will not account for the
singular military abilities of which the Beers are
giving evidence. That they are good shots has long
been known but 1t is now seen that they are some
thing more than good Shots that they organized
and that they have leaders whose knowledge of war
| il not limited to the sighting OF rifle. Who are
| these eadersY Who is it that has converted what
| Governor Anlrew used to call a tOwu-meeting of
| farmers into formidable army flor the Beers at
this moment are nothing less. When and whore did
they learn drill and disciplined When were they
arrayed IN battaons and regiments and brgades
If they a.c 80 arrayed They are population of
agriculturistS scattered over vast extent of coun
try They have done little fighting, from time to
| time with the natives. but nobody ever heard of
their possessing such military system is implied
| by their recent exploits They were 30 far from
being prepared. in the usual sense for war; that they
have no artillery and story lately circulated that
l rf fvuO
| wonder No one can say where the guns came from.
/ nor whether there Is ANYBODY among the Beers