New-York tribune., 1883-12-20
TROURLE IN THE TRANSVAAL

dispatch to THE TRIBUNE last week stated
that the Beers have executed native chief
Gdespite the assurance of President Kruger
that the sentence should not be carried out until
he had held a conference on the subject with
Lord Derby, the British Colonial Secre tary.'
The Beers have probably not .made their path
any easier by what appears from this statement
to have been an act of inexcusabe bad faith.
But Judging from the past course of these peo-
pie they do not care whether they offend or con-
ciliate any Power being endowed not only with
a most aggressive spirit of independence, but
being also of that intOlerant temper which our
own Pilgrim Fathers so strongly manifested
Yet the Beers have at this moment good reason
for behaving with common courtesy to England
for they have demands pending before the Brit
ish Government of considerable Importance 10
themselves. They demand complete autonomy
and absence of interference with their foreign
or domestic policy by England. AS the latter Is
under pledge to protect the native tribes whose.
Territory marches with the BOer frontiers, ana
ms the Beers even now propose to annex part OF
Rechuanland. whose inhabitants possess
special claims upon English protection, it looks
as if there might be the makings of very
pretty quarrel here. At present the Boer5 de-
mand Stellaland and Goshen, saying that it is
necessary to annex them for the sake of peace
and order. But, as The FOrtnighHy ReUieW sug-
gests /" Is there not too much reason to fear
" that the vision of the Transyaal annexationists
may never fail to discover new Stcllaland and
" Goshen just outside tho limits OF the country
" which has most recently been included behind
" the Transvaal frontier y
England's embarrassment arises from the fact
that the Beers, if once they are given the COM
plete independence they demand, VIII be GER
tain to find abundant excuses for further and
yet further annexation and that since 1t Is
impossible TO hold the native tribes with an
absolutely tight rein, there Is no means Of pre-
venting them from occasionally playing into the
hands of an aggressive and determined cOmmu-
nity like that of the Transvaal. She cannot
abandon these tribes altogether, or if she does
she might as well prepare to withdraw from
South Africa She therefore can hardly afford !
to make the concessions required of her by the |
Beers, and if she does not the Beers are quite |
capable of rcnouncing her suzerainty, and pro-
cecding with their policy of annexation in spite |
of her II is a difficult situation, for of course |
Mr.. Gladstone does not want even to seem TO |
interfere vcxatiousy with the Beers, aud yet he |
may be- compelled to choose between policy |
of coercion and one OF abandonment, and it is |
not likely that English public opinion will |
sanction the latter.
The truth is that the Beers and the natives |
could probably get on well enough if the former !
did not coyet the land of the latter. The na-
tives have already found, in some instances,
that even the stern and arbitrary rule of their |
white ncighbors is preferable to the anarchy |
and insecurity of their own territories, and ii |
left to themselves they would quite possibly !
incorporation with the Transyaal. But |
forcible annexation arOuscs resentment and |
challenges resistance, and that excuses harsh |
cruel methods, and 80 from bad 10 worse the |
quarrel grows. No matter what virtues the |
Beers may have, and they have many, it must !
be said that they are a very impracticablc |
people.