The morning call., 1894-09-16
The DUTCH IN SOUTH AFRICA

The migration of gold-seekers into the
Transvaal has invested that portion of the
world with general interest, and has led
to the appearance of cOpiOus literature
on its history and topography. Among
the newest ana most thorough books on
the subject is George NJ. Theafs ''Story
Of South Africa" which has just appeared
in New York.
1t is about sixty years since the Dutch
of Cape Colony. dissatisfied with the pol
icy of the British Colonial Government
struck out north, crossed the Orange and
the Naal, and established the Transvaal
State. They were warlike and intolerant
re0pla; they pursued in Africa the same
arbl traTy and merciess policy which they
had adopted in Java. The fundamental
principle OF their system was expressed In
the provision. 1--WE W II admit of no equal
1'y OF persons of color with the white in
habltants of the State" AdheriDg to this
doctrine, and carrying it out with rifles
which rarely missed their aim, they either
reduced the natives to quasi slavery or
they pushed them beyond the rivers. Hav-
i g crossed the Orange they advanced be-
You'd the Vaal, and did not halt till they
had placed tbs Limpopo between them
and the State from which they had come.
Here they came into collision with the
Zulus, who proved such formidable foes
that the LimDopo was again crossed by
the retreating Beers. and the native State
Of Matabele was established to set bar
rier to the further immigration of the
Dutchmen nOrthward. Disputes, fire.
quently ending in pitched battles, ensued
al ba Itch cd in
conquest of Natal by the Cape Colony
troops, and were finally adjusted by
the convention of 1853, which secured to
the Beers possession of the regions now
known as the Orange Free State and the
South African Republic, and to the Eng
lish the possession of the newly discovered
diamond fields on the Lower Vaal River.
There was no cessation, however, to the
disputes between the English and Dutch
over territory, though a modus vivendi
was reached by the recognition of the
Orange Free Stale and the South African
Republic as independent States. and the
English put an effectuai check to the ex-
tension OF the Dutch westwardly by the
establishment of a protectorate over
Bechuanaland.
1t is the recent gold discoveries in the
neighborhood of Johannesburg which give
importance to these teTrit rial distrOu-
tions, and glance at the map shows that
the problems involved are not yet solved.
The new gold country has two outlets
Delag0a Bay, which is about five degrees
east. and the long line south, running to
the southeastern or southwestern prov
inces of Cape Colony. The former is the
natural outlet, and a railroad is being built
to connect it with the e. Id fields. But, by
the decision of Marshal MacMahou, sitting
as arbitrator in 1875, Delagoa Bay was
awarded to Portugal; and thus power
which is not Interested in the growing
common Wealths of South Africa holds
their chief outlet TO the outside world. 1t
is a complication like that which resulted
from the occupation of New Orleans by
Spain before the purchase of Louisiana,
and will have to be settled either by pur-
chase and sale, OF by war.
The Dutch system Of colon iZatioo, which
is in full force in the Dutch East Indies, is
based on the denial OF any and all rights
to the aborignes. Java is the purest ex-
ample of despotism which the world pre-
seats al the present time. The system has
been adopted with some notifications by
the BOer descendants Of the Dutch. Both
the Orange Free State aud the South
African Republic enjoy representative in
stitutions, but the right of suffrage is de.
MED to people Of color. Such a system it
would seem can only work satisfactorily
and permanently where the inferior race
is gradually disappearing in obedience to
the law OF the survival of the fittest. 1t
is not By any means certain that the native
African is disappearing before the advance
of the European. In North and Equatorial
Africa it is the white who disappears. and
in British India, after three generations.
the Englishman falls to the level of the
native and sometim below it. II that
law should prevail in the Dutch common
wealths of South Africa, and those regions
be occupied by dominating minority of
whites and subject population of blacks.
there is likely to be from lime to time
repetition of such outbreaks as that which
recently occurred there.