The Princeton union., 1896-05-21

4$ssrSSSMH#.th the Independence
/m ~ which they now
R1Zsx defend. The
/ %&/l!& struggle has been
going on for sew
IL eral generations.
On every occa-
sion when the British government has
found it expedient to make war upon
the natives Of South Africa it has, by
force or diplomacy, extended its borders
and encroached upon the traditional
rights of the Beers, who were there first
The courage of the Beers is phenome-
nal in this age. Their past accounts for
it. Like the early settlers of America,
they had to conquer the savages, then
the savage wilderness, and, last of all,
The greedy and grasping newcomers,
who tried to stepin and take from them
the hard earned prize. Physically and
morally the Beers are made Of hero
stuff. Like the pilgrims, they were driv-.
en- from Europe by religious persecu-
tions. They live the life of Bible patri-
archs and simply ask to be let alone.
The various warlike tribes of Zulus
have had their punishment again and
again at the hands of the Beers, and
now for a generation no enemy has dis
turbed the peace Of this isolated people
except the invading European. Physic-
ally they are the superiors of any white
race on the globe. Six feet four is the
common stature Of the men who take
up arms, and q battalion Of them makes
an appearance like the famous Grena-
dier guards
With her usual conceit England un-
derestimated the prowess Of the Beers,
and when the Transvaal came under
her tax laws by the annexation follow
ing the Zulu war Of 1879, she began to
put the screws on in the matter Of tax
alton. Not satisfied with enforcing di-
rect taxation, which was obnoxious to
| the Beers, the taxgatherers raked up old
tax claims Of the South African Repub-
lie and insisted upon the last farthing,
even where the citizen claimed to have
paid it. The immediate cause of the
war Of 1881 was case of tax Office
persecution.
Finding the Beers restive under the
tax laws, the military and civil, agents
began to prepare for the conflict. The
Beers called mass meeting for Janu-
ary, 1881, but before the time for as
sembling citizen was arrested and
thrown into jail because he would not
| hand over tax Of e27 when be believed
he owed but &14. Instead Of meeting
in January to discuss the situation, the
citizens came together about 1000
strong in December, declared repub-
lie, and after sending an ultimatum to
the British secretary, cut the wires. and
began to arm for the conflict. s,
The Lexington Of this illiputian rev
olution was Laing's Mex, fought on the
28th Of January. A new British com
mander, anxious to win laurels before
the home government should make
peace, caused the shedding Of blood
which made peace impossible except
with glory for the Beers. One Of the
first movements of the republican war
leader Piet Joubert, after cutting off all
the garrisons in the Transvaa], was to
plant his main army on the borders Of
Natal to dispute the pass from loyal
territory into the revolutio tionary domain.
This action put his people on the de-
fensive to resist invasion. His little
army lay across the road from the Ma
tai to Draken burg, upon series of hills
partly inclosing the road like an amphi-
theater.
Sir George Colley, the British COM
mander, was on the field in person. So
confident was he that his army was
about to win the one victory of the war
and give the Beers drubbing that
would make them glad to sue for terms
that he didn't take the trouble to ma
never under cover Of night. His force
comprised the Fifty-eighth infantry, of
about 900 men, and mounted battalion
numbering $50. Joubert had rested his
right flank upon high spur known as
Majuba hill. Between Majuba hill and
the next high ground Oh the left lies
tableland 2,000 feet in length, connect
ing the hills Over this tableland, called
Laing's Mex, the main road from Ma
tai to the Transvaal passes.
The plan of the British was to assail
the heights on their right with half of
the infantry, while the mounted men
stormed an outlying ridge adjoining it.
This would divide the enemy and at the
same time keep the assailants within
supporting distance. A smart gallop
carried the cavalry to the point of at
tack, and with the prevailing anxiety to
get in stroke before the rebellion col
lapsed the troopers rushed on, regardless
Of their infantry supports. Short and
sharp was the fight, and it ended with
the cavalry retreat upon the infantry
On the side Of the Beers little harm had
been done, and the whole mass was
turned upon the infantry column.
Undaunted by the disaster to the cav
airy, the infantry column rushed for
ward, led by Colonel Deane and three
staff officers, all on horseback. a gall
ing fire from the Boer rifles met the
column as soon as it began to scale the