The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-03
TIE BoERs.

We have not heard much from the
Dutch Republic in the Trnnsvaai since
the free and Independent yeomanry,
armed with antique weapons, defeated
the splendid body OF British troops sent
TO conquer them, reduce their indepen-
dance, and add one more patch OF earth
TO the domains OF Great Britain.
Before that "war" the Boer Republic
was little known outside the personnel
OF governments that were keeping an eye
on their rich country. Forty or nifty
years before. they had been
forced back from their legitimate
possessions on the Cape OF
Good Hope, Great Britain, OF course, be-
ing the aggressor and the conqueror and
the discovery OF gold in their new home
in the Transvaal was enough to excite Brit
ish cupidity again to the point OF further
conquest
The British proposition was as outrage
Gus as anything in the history of British
acquisition OF other peoples property.
1t was more glaringly so because of the
kind OF people whose rights were in this
case the subject OF attack, whose homes
were to be invaded by British arms,
whose lands were to be turned over to
British stock companies and who, them
selves, were to be made British subjects
by force OF arms. The Beers were civil
lied and Christian power, white people, de-
scendants of Dutch colonists. They were
no race OF bar barians Offering to the greedy
Briton the excuse OF O "work OF civili-
zation and developments" /" for murder and
conquest. And when war broke out, up
on the complacent act Of the British gov
ernment in "annexing" tbs Boer Republic,
the British learned quickly that they had
no common Toe to conquer. Tho British
troops were defeated in every engage
ment and word.esme out 1.-THE Transvaal
to the people in Great Britain that these
Beers were splendid men and splendid
fighters ana that after driving the in
vnders from the -batticfields they went
among the British wounded and succored
them and nursed them back to life and
decently buried the British sol1iers
who were dead on the field. And all
Europe, and the English people, rose up in
protest against the attempt OF the British
Government to wage war on such people
whose only crime was that they possessed
a rich country that Great Britain wanted,
and that in defense OF their homes they
had shot down British soldiers sent 10
destroy them. And Great Britain, for
once. deemed it inexpedient to "resent
the insult" 70 her flag and ''remove the
stain" to British arms that had been
humbled by.these sturdy, simple Dutch
men and she took her hands off the Dutch
Republic in the Transvsal.
Attention 10 once more called to this
interesting people by the invasion OF the
Transvaal by DR.. l.. s. JAMESON, an En-
glish explorer, Indirectly, at any rate,
posing as a British representative, and.
directly an officer OF the British South
African Company. Nobody believes that
this expedition was no more than bit
OF forsging adventure on DIR. JAMEsoN's
part, but how far the British South
African Company and even the British
government itself was party to II 10
undetermined and may never be known.
But the whole thing smacks of the spirit
OF that sind Of British enterprise which
has in many instances before now
led to "wsr" and the FINAL subsection
and despolistion of Q weaker people by
British bayonets. 1t is not undoubtcd
that British politicians and British capi-
italists covot the Transvaal country Just
{. they did fifteen years ago, and would
grab it today IL they could just