The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-30

which had been abandoned.
Monster petitions were signed In Pre-
toria and In johannesburg, asking the,
president TO pardon the members OF the
Reform union upon whom sentence was
pronounced. The Boer jurors. before
whom the condemned men would have
been tried had they not pleaded guilty,
also signed a memorial asking that ex-
ecutive elemency be extended TO the self
confessed consplrators.
President Kruger said. on Tuesday. in
regard to the sentences passed upon the
leaders Of the Johannesburg Reform
union, that he was earnestly weighing
in his mind the developments Of thna day.
He trusted. he added. that the people OF
johannesburg would calmly await the
decision of the government The judg-
ment OF the court would be presented tc
the executive in writing. when the MAJ
ter would be promptly dealt with.
Hammond's physician stood by him
while the sentence OF death was being
pronounced. Hammond was weak in
health, but showed not the slightest
sign, OF fear.
The Uitlander Revolt.
The Uitlanders who have come into
the Transvaal, built the fiourishing city
of Johannesburg, opened up vast min
ing industry and attracted such swarm
of enterprising, aggressive men, drawn
from the fortune hunting elements OF
all nations, as to threaten TO soon out
number the Beers in their own land.
are regarded by the sturdy Dutch South
Africans OF President Kruger's republic
very much as the Mormon saints re-
garded the "Gentiles" when they be-
gan TO pour into Utah after railroad
connection was established with IL.
"Uitlanders." meaning out-of-the-land
people, or outlaws, Is the equivalent
Boer expression TO "Gentiles" as the
Mormons Of Brigham Young's day used
It, IL was in 1880 that the Beers began
TO be badly troubled with the Uitlander
invasion. Their old adversaries, the
British, having extended their protec-
torate over Zululand, began a move
ment in that year to annex the Trans
vaal. A convention packed by British
influences met at Pretoria, the Boer cap
ital. and went through the forms of
voting for annexation 10 Great Britain.
But the tenacious burghers were not
to be thus stampeded by a machine
made convention of Uitlanders. They
no sooner heard what had been done
and that body OF 400 British troops
had been ordered up to occupy Pretoria
than they took to the field with their
deadly rifles. Tive British troops never
reached Pretoria. In one small but
stubborn fight after another the Beers
beat back the queens soldiers. under
General Sir George Colley, and finally
inflicted upon them the sanguinary de-
feat of Majuba Hill.
At no time in this famous campaign
were there more than 700 British troops
engaged. Ten times that number might
have been quickly sent up from Natal to
retrieve the prestige lost at Majuba
Hill, but Mr.. Gladstone, who was then
premier, decided that morally the Beers
were right. and that Great Britain was
strong enough TO do justice and leave.
them to enjoy their independence with
out regard TO the bad effect upon the
British military reputation I'm South
Africa which the MaJuba Hill disaster
might have. So treaty OF peace was
made, by which the Transvaal republic
preserved It's autonomy. but as Mr..
Gladstone stipulated, was 10 be subject
to Great Britain's guidance and control
In its foreign relations. But this limita-
ti0n President Kruger is now understood
to deny, and the German emperor has
seemed to be ready TO help him sustain
the denial
Soon after the Gladstone treaty of
peace was signed, gold was found in
large quantities in the Transvaal. That
inevitably brought a new rush of Uit-
landers. The Boer government has dog
gedly fought them off. 1t has imposed
heavy taxes on their mines and spe-
tal saD lx.~4..
the idea Of driving them off. But the
mines have paid SO well that, in spite OF
all these taxes. the Uitlanders have kept
on coming.
johannesburg. the metropolis of the
Uitlanders. Is today the finest city in
South Africa. Ii has good streets, elec-
trio lighting, street railways, fine hotels,
churches, banks. theaters and all the in
cidentals of high civilization except
equal rights on election day The Boer
government bars out majority Of the
residents of johannesburg from the
rights of citizenship because they are
Uitlanders. They viii have no language
but the Dutch in the courts or schools,
though the population OF the city mostly
speaks English. So the Uitlanders, in
telligent English-speaking men, owning
Hlost OF tHe CITY property, DnO tnem-
selves without courts, schools or votes
practically with no rights that Boer
official is bound to respect.
On Dec. 26, 1895, the National Union OF
the Transvaal ofwhich Charles Seward
was chairman, issued a manifesto at Jo-
hannesburg, in which they declared they
would labor for these ends:
/. The establishment OF republic as a
true republic under constitution ap-
proved by the whole people.
2. An equitable franchise and fair rep
resentation.
8. The equality of the Dutch and Eng
lish languages.
4. The responsibility TO the legislature
OF the heads Of the great departments.
5. The removal of religious disabilities
6. The establishment of independent
courts OF justice, with adequate pay for
the judges, which shall be properly Sc
cured.
Z. Liberal education.
8. An efficient civil service, with an
adequate pay and pension system.