The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-06-21
THE BOER COUNTRY.
Remarkable Growth Of the South
African Republic.
Settlement of the Transvasl and Its Mar
velous Industrial Progress-CoEl-
position of the Gov
eminent.

The territory comprising the Trans
vaal or South African republic covers
an area larger than that OF France. 1t
is peopled by the Beers, who fled from
the tyrannical form of government
which the English sought to impose up
on them further south. The Beers are
the descendants of the sturdy Neither
landers, who constituted Holland re-
public and formidable power in the
sixteenth century, and of the Hugue-
nots, who were driven from France by
the revocation of the edict of Nantes
in 1856 by Louis XIV. Thus in the
Beers of South Africa there is a COM
bination of the characteristics of two
people who are conspicuous in Euro
pean history for the struggles they
waged for political and religious lib
erty. Since the days when the first
band of hardy immigrant Beers crossed
the Vaal river, where England's tyran-
ny stopped at following them, and
planted their cabins on the broad and
sunny slopes of the Transvaal, the
country has gone through the changes
dividual and nation alike. Within
the past five years marvellous devel-
opment of population, resources and
industries has followed on the success
which gold mining has achieved. Rail
way communication now connects
johannesburg via the diamond mines
of Kimberly with the Cape of Good
Iic+o g -,
forty-five miles. Other connections
are rapidly progressing from Natal
and Delagoa bay, centralizing at Pre-
toria, the capital and seat of govern
men in the Transvaal
The constitution of the South African
republic, says Goldthwaites Magazine,
is based on Roman Dutch. The legis-
lative power is vested in the volksraad,
the members of which are elected by
their constituents for four years. The
executive consists Of the president,
elected for five years by general cleo
ton throughout the state, the state
secretary elected by the volksraad for
four years, and four unofficial members
chosen for three years by the volks-
raad. The chief officer in each district
is the landdrost who acts as magis-
trate and civil commissioner, with the
assistance of clerk, who is at the
same time public prosecutor and dis
tributor of stamps. Each district is
further provided with baljuw or
sheriff, gaoler and staff of constables.
With the exception Of a corps of
mounted artillery and police, com
manded by three officers with about
sixty men, the republic has no armed
force. The president, with the concur
renee of the executive, has the right to
declare war and call up a commando,
in which the burghers are placed
under the field comets and command
ants of each district. The whole force
is commanded by the commandment
general, who is elected by the country
for the term of ten years. All inhabit-
ants of the state between sixteen and
sixty years of age, not exempt accord
ing to law, are liable to service on
President Kruger is now
his Office for the third term.
He is a patriot a man whose heroic
life posterity will honor. Among the
Beers he is known exclusively as 'Oom
Paul, Uncle Paul Though a man
of rugged exterior, untutored even as
regards the most elementary branches
Of education, he has shown practical
for government that has been
a match for the most finished diplo-
macy and statecraft. For the conser-
vation of the interests of the mining
class, almost entirely English, he in
duenced the volllsraad to establish a
second chamber, to which they could
send their representatives. This cham
Der legislates in the interest of the
English class and for the local inter
ests of the country, the volksraad
holding the right of veto over its pro-
ceedings.