New-York tribune., 1896-05-26
TIE FTTTRE or SOUTH AFRICA.

Tie question what race is 10 dominate South
Africa must soon be answered positively and
permanently. Every days doings make II more
urgent Il IL not whether South Africa Is to be
British or German, ms some are asking but
whether IL IS 10 be Anglo-Saxon or Teutonic.
II II Is now made wholly British, II Is entirely
conceivable that within the lives Of men now
living the federated colonies will attain inde-
pendence OF the mother country and form
great and free United States Of South Africa.
with future possibilities only less imposing than
those OF the United States OF North America.
But whether that be the or not. British rule
will mean liberal and democratic rule. The
Australian colonies and the Cape are about as
much republics now MS our States So. Indeed.
Is the United Kingdom Itself In all but name.
As German colonies on the other hand. the
South African States would bc put back under
an almost absolute dcspotIsin. with hope OF free
dom postponed 10 the dim distant future be-
yond the storm clouds of revolution. In such
view Of the case there is little room for doubt
as 10 the side on which American sympathies
should be- arraycd
Nor are American interests in those regions
81 small rs 10 make concern for them imperti-
ncnt American settlers in numbers and enter
prise and American capital invested. far out
rank the Germans and any other Outlanders.
after the British themselves This was made
evident 10y the recent abortiyc insurrectlon nj
Johannesburg. which largely organized by
Americans ana depended upon Americans for
practical leadership The conduct OF those con
spirators is not 10 be defended AT the same
time II Is we'll that the numerous American resi-
dents of Cape Colony shoud-as they are doing
exert all possible influence for the pardon Of
their crring countrymcn. The sentence OF 1if-
| teen years Imprisonment passed upon Ham
| mond Is practically life, or rather a death.
sentence 1t ought TO be- commutcd. despite the
wild clamor Of the German press against any
further clcmcncy, and there Is reason to believe
IT might be- II proper pressure were brought to
bear from this country The very fnct that
there was In this country SO vigorous an cx-
preston Of sympathy with the Beers at the time
Of the Jameson raid should entitle American
representations to the highest consideration ut
Pretoria.
As TO the attitude Of the Transvaal Govern
mcnt there is no room for doubt. II incncs
Enthusiastically toward Germany In doing so II
is not altogether consistent with its former pro-
fcssIons In 1883. It may he remembered, when
he was cajoling the Gladstone Ministry into
dencc, "Oom' Paul Kriiger made fervent pro-
tesntlons Of devotion to the British Crown. He
did not, he said. object ITO give favorable CON
''sidcraton TO any scheme Of confederation be-
tween the Colonies and Stntes OF South Africa
"cmnnatng from Her Majesys Government
land wherein the interests of the Imperial Gov
''ernmcnt are duly recognized. even I'm 80 far as
"a British Protectorate might hereafter be re-
'snrir rod inst nf nf frnp orip
Powers to take possession Of South Africa by
force of arms" But what a change came over
the spirit of his dream Early last year. eleven
months before the Johannesburg uprising and
long before there was reason to suspect any in
trigues by the Chartered Company the Cape
Government against the autonomy OF the Trans
| ''tcrests Of Germany, though It be but with the
resources of n child such as my land IL consid-
''ercd. The time has come to knit ties of the
CLOSEST friendship between Germany and the
South African Repubc-tes such as are natu-
raj between father and child"
In any one but n Boer President that would
be reckoned n most decided turning OF the coat
How American settlers In South Africa regard
II has already been made plain. What the Brit
ish Government will finally decide to do about
1t Is yet to bc seen But II II should decide TO
hold the Boer Patriarch to the terms of his pro-
fession of 1SS3 could II be greatly blamed?
Certainly II has kept its agreement OF that year
fully as faithfully as the Pretoria Government
has done The Jameson raid and the Johannes
burg fiasco have not changed that fact In the
least, That is the way the case is regarded by