New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-13
THE DUTCH IN AFRICA.
GRADUALLY YIELDING TO BRITISH SPEhoh
AND CUSTOMS-THE CAPE YOUTH.

MIR. Rider HaggarIS prcuioeioh 'ii"" W.
element in South Africa is destined to he peace
suIIv submerged seems likely to be fulfilled within
another generation Strenuous efforts are Deihs
made by the more enterprisng and loyal Dutch
| Africanders 10 retain the language and customs
and TO instll the ideas of the northern country
But this class of patriotic adherents to the Iaith
of the forefathers is by far the smallest OF the
three classes that immigrate from Holland. Inc
| larger part OF the Dutch population adheres W
that race characteristic, never to let nauonai
pride or patriotism get the better OF se-lhteres'.
The people are perfectly williny to be suomerge"
when individual gain warrants it. lhis Is par
tieularly true of that large class Of immigrants
who recruit the industrial forces in South Airico.
They are just the people wanted in the lransVa"i
pnd in the colonies to give the element VI
stability to the population that fllts ABOUT LII
the gold and diamond regions. They are peace
loving citizens and by their industry ouiiu up
the agricultural resources of the country The
Britishers do not object to these quiet, Indus-
trious unobstructive people, so long as they show
no disposition to enter into politics. The English
feel perfectly competent to hold the relns In
administrative affairs, without any governmental
assistance from other powers. Inc Du,ch
peasantry are too serchciy apathetic to offer any
resistance to usurpation Of anything. language OF
even national customs, so long as thelr iarm'
are not despoiled. Dutch immigration wherever
transplanted has been absorbed by the Anglo
Saxon race No traces of the national influence
remain in India or South America, where Holland
held powerful sway in former times IL Is en-
tirely probable that this same process OF as
sanitation will occur in South Africa NO
people in Europe are so susceptible to outside IN
fluence, when removed from the home Government
as the Dutch, and this is true not only OF In
diyiduals and communities but of whole colonies
The Dutch peasantry are content to be known as
the successful cattle breeders and dairy-farmers
of their communities. They live simply and are
satisfied when both ends meet in their hm'eo
social and economic system. Political hohors
have no attractions and there Is little to tempt
| them from the narrow rural circles where
ideas do not penetrate, and ambition never
enters For all they care, :" thrones may
crumbe to dust princes and potentates come ana
co." SO long they are we'Lfed! ana mourning
disurbs the sluggish current OF their stolld, uh-
| eventfu lives. They the last persons to make
a fight to retain their own language. National
sentiment is not an element in the composition OF
| phlegmatic people.
| Another class to be found in South Africa are
the quicl-witted scheming, wire-pulling OBJ
streperous Dutch who have no scruples against
sacrificing either national colonial interests,
when occasion offers 1t has been said Of them
that they are skilful in the art Of facing both
| ways and are able TO appeal with effect to the
prejudces and weaknesses of the Boer country
| They better educated than the peasantry; and
are shrewd enough to know what they want and
| how to obtain it. Most of the political compli.
cations that have arisen in the Transvaal are di
rectly traccable to their roguery and Implicitly.
| They are dreaded by the aspiring and grasping
| Britishers who see in them formidable rivals in
| the political field at least Lie the peasantry,
they have not the interest Of Dutch South Africa
sufficiently at heart TO induce them to make the
| feeblest efforts to resist the dominancy of the
English over the Dutch, so long as their own per-
social comfort is not at stake. 1t is hopeless for
| the Dutch to expect that immigration from HOl-
land will counterbalance the effect of English
influence in any country save the Free State.
| While Dutch is the official language in that ter
rtory, even there English is rapidly gaining
ground the popular language. and English man
| ners and customs being adopted.
But third class that deserve credit for the
persistence shown in their efforts to preserve the
| Dutch language in all parts Of South Africa diff
fer widely from either of the other classes men,
| toned. These people are Holland-loving Afri-
| canders, and have strong feeling Of pride in
| their nationality. few Of the more aggressive
| defenders would like nothing better than the
elimination of the English language. They admit
| that knowledge of English is desirable, If not
absolutely necessary, in certain professions, but
| maintain that it should be treated always as a
| foreign tongue However, the more reasonable
| Africanders Of Dutch extraction only ask for
| what they term justice; in other words. equal
representation with the Britshen, not only in
the halls Of Legislature and courts Of law, but
| in the domain OF education as well.
| Ckox~
provides that in certain prescribed studies In the
leading colleges, and in all country schools re-
ceiving Government aid instruction shall be given
| through the medium Of the Dutch language, while
| instruction in the towns may he either in Dutch
| or English, as the parents Of the pupils may
choose Stipulation is made that in certain parts
| Of the course half of the subjects taught shall
be through the medium of the Dutch. This law
is intended to DO a safeguard against the uni
versal adoption of English in Che schools, for it
| il undoubtedly the favored medium of instruc-
ton. 1t is supposed that this promise will result
| in enabling every Dutch Afrcander to use either
| language with equal facility. The decay of the
| Dutch language is no doubt partially due to its
| former neglect in the schools. Most Of the Dutch
| Africanders resided in the country, while the
| English-spealing people, who reside in the cities,
| had the superior educational advantages. The
| Dutch women do not seem at all inclined to use
the language of their forefathers when in society
English rather is regarded as the polite language
| A Hollander enthusiast advocates the establish
ment Of literary and debating societies and all
sorts of unions and clubs whose raison detre is
the promotion of the mother tongue lie also
| urges the Iaalbond' to take immediate steps to
see that the number of subjects taught through
the medium of Dutch in the Cape University shall
be equal TO those taught in English. The "Taal-
bond" have already offered prizes for essays,
encouraged the publication of Dutch school-books.
and procured cheap literature for the Afrcanders
Cape Dutch" as the vernacular of the colony
| l. ooIIad diNarc from the lanOuape snolen in