New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-17
CONCESSIONS TO TIE BOERS.

The report that the Beers have made over
lures for peace will be welcome news IN Lon
don. The proposals have already been con-
sidered by the Cabinet, and dispatches have
been sent to General Cooley which m lead
10 an armistice The English Liberals, who
condemned the unjustIfdble proceedings of
the Conservative Government i'll south Africa.
entered with great reluctance upon a cam
paign against people who had been de
spoil d of the rights of self government. \
concilatory response to the present proposals
may enable them to vudicate the authority
of the Crown, and to IN Ike concessions 10 the
Beers which will bring ho.tlitics TO IA cosr.
The emiSrJnt farmers beyond the Naal
River received from the british Government
in the Sand River Convention Of 1872 am le
guarantees OF Their political rg tS. They
were accorded the privilege of managing
their own affairs aud gov ming themselves
according to Their own laws; no enc oach-
ment WIS to be made by British colonies
upon the territory of the Beers. and the pol
icy of nOn-lntclfercnCe was sOlcnnly declared
to be binding upon both contracting parties.
This independent State, whose sovereignty
had been recognized by five European
courts and also by the United States.
was suddenly deprived of its political rights
and annexed TO the British Crown. Tn" pco-
pie abstained from resistance aud hlools eel,
and dispatched commission TO England to
a, k Tor justice. Neither this delegation nor
the one sent ont during the following year WAS
allowed to present its case. R"monStIances
against the violation of treaties and me-
morals declaring unrcservcdly that the
people had not acknowledged the suprcm-
acy of the Queen have repeatedly
been signed, and taxes have been paId
only under protest aud campnSinn. Tines.
facts are rehcars'd in the Declaration Oi In
dcpendcncc Issued 10y the Tuluviratc,
Kruger, PrrlOrus aud Jouhrrt. Eyr'y on
lig!itrncd Liberal in England knows that jus
tee has not been done aud that the BncrS are
in the right. II tn Government CT" Oh,r t.
those who have taken mp arms against the
Crown conditions of peace whereby the privi-
lcyes OF local scif-gnvcInmcnt can b" restored
and the administration o. public affairs III
trusted to the leaders in whom they have con-
fdcnce, an Improbable war will he brought
to an end and the party IN power b" relieved
from position of great embarrassment.
In 1869, when Mr.. Gladstone was Premier,
there was revolt in one OF the Crown col
Ones-the Red River settlement north of our
own borders. Canada had acquired Il title to
the country from the Hudson Bay Company, but
the population had not acquiesced III the
transfer. Fort Garry WAS seized one OF her
Majesty's subjects was tried by court martial
and put to death, and insults were offered to tn"
British dag. This was rebellion, and the
Home Government found it necessary to sind
an expedition into the district to recstablish
the authority of the Crown. But before the
troops were set in motion justice was done.
Pressure was brought to bear upon the Cana
dian Parliament, and tine rights of the colo
nists were formally recognized before the
expedition started on It's boodlcss Grand
In like manner timely concessions may have
the happiest results in the Transvaal. The
country was annexed to the British Crown
without the consent of the Beers, and IN de-
flance of treaty law. Here is a wrong to he
redresscd, and when that is done it may he
easy to restore the titular supremacy of the
Crown and to bring the Transvaal into con-
federate relations with the Colonies and States
of South Africa.