The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-01-02
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TheInteIligencer.
wnrELrNe, JANUARY 9, 1909.


= The Transvaal. called by It's people
the South African Republic. is that part
OF South Africa which lies to the north
OF Cape Colony beyond the vanl river.
Here the Dutch farmers and herders es-
tahllshed themselves after Great Bril-
tnin had taken Cape Colony from Hel-
land as part OF the plumber OF the Napo-
leonic wars. These simple pastoral
people preferred to invade the wilder
ness and hew out for themselves n new
home rnthGr than live under British
rule. 1t was bold undertaking. but
courage. industry and perseverance
won.
The British were near enough to know
what was going on. They saw oppor-
tunItteS to make money in the Boer re-
public, and there they established them
selves in increasing numbers. In time
the thing happened which might have
been expected. Having kept the hSht-
ing natives stirred up against the Beers.
having created serious dissensions
among the Beers. in 1877 the British pro-
claimed the annexation of the Trans
vaal The Beers few TO arms, made n
stout resistance and inflicted enough
punishment on the British troops to
change the British policy. A suzerain-
ty having to do chiefly with the repue-
lies foreign relations was agreed upon
by treaty. By the convention OF Lon
don. 1884, Great Britain recognized the
South African Republic and very little
OF her suzerainty was left.
The present trouble may be said to
have had Its beginning in 1886. when the
discovery OF new and most valuable
gold fields attracted the attention and
started that rush OF adventures which
has not ceased yet. Most OF the new
, corners were British. a sprtn&itng Amer
lean. These gold-hunters and their
commercial camp-tollowers are the UT
landers, the foreigners, told OF In the
current dispatches. The Uitlnnders are
making trouble because the Beers will
give them no voice in the government OF
the country. although they are u ma
torlty OF the white population. They
offer TO become naturaIized, but the
Beers will not accept them as citizens.
The foreigners say that they pay most
of the taxes and should have voice In
the government. The Beers reply that
It is their country. they carved 1t out
for themselves because they wished to
get away from British rule, and that
they will not admit outsiders to voice
In their government, for the outsiders
would control. The Beers did not ask
the outsiders to come in and do not COM
pei them to stay.
The Beers see in the move scheme to
hand them over to the British authort-
", a fate which they averted more than
half century ago by leaving Cape Col
ony and later, in 1850. by courageous
resort to arms. The present contention
cannot so far MS an armed conflict be-
fore British columns will be supporting
the British insurgents.
II no other power Interfere the Beers
will be overcome. their republic will be
wiped out, and the Transvaal will be-
come purely a British dependency the
heroic struggle OF half n century against
the wild forces Of nature and British IN
tr4gue win have had Its last chapter
written In grievous disappointment,
The British plan will not please France.
II France takes a hand Russia will not
be far away.
VIII Great Britain be allowed to COB
bic the Boer republic? This is what the
Beers would like to know, and as yet
nobody is able to tell them.